NEW YORK, April 5, 2018 – PGA Tour star Bryson DeChambeau has rejoined forces with the prestigious National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Konica Minolta Golf Classic to lead his own Birdie Challenge during April – National Donate Life Month – and into May, to help raise funds, as he first did last year, to promote the need for life-saving organ donations and to support kidney health. Last year’s efforts raised close to $20,000, and his sights are set on exceeding that this year.
Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for end-stage renal disease, more commonly known as kidney failure. Studies show that the best-functioning, longest-lasting type of transplant comes from a living donor, and the waitlist for a kidney from a deceased donor is long. In the United States, more than 100,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant right now, approximately 18,000 will get transplanted this year, and more than 4,000 people will die waiting.
For DeChambeau, the numbers are very personal. For years, his father, Jon DeChambeau relied on lengthy dialysis treatments just to stay alive. Yet, last year, he received a kidney from a living donor, a high school friend. “Receiving a kidney has completely changed my father’s life, and he has been doing very well since the transplant,” Bryson DeChambeau said. “I’m very proud to do another Birdie Challenge in his honor, and to help others have better lives through living donations.”
The Birdie Challenge is a social media and web-based event in which DeChambeau will pledge to donate $250 per birdie and $500 per eagle that he makes on the PGA Tour during the month of April and early May. He also will challenge his social media followers and fans to make their own pledges and make a difference. To make your Birdie Challenge pledge, visit https://pledgeit.org/brysons-birdies. You can join the conversation via the hashtag #BrysonsBirdieChallenge. As an added boost and show of support, NKF and DeChambeau’s sponsor, Bridgestone Golf, are participating in his Birdie Challenge. DeChambeau will put his Birdie Challenge in action at the following events on the PGA Tour: The Masters, Augusta, GA, April 5-8; RBC Heritage, Hilton Head, SC, April 12-15; and the Wells Fargo Championship, Charlotte, NC, May 3-6.
“We’re excited that Bryson has renewed his Birdie Challenge in support of our ongoing fight against kidney disease,” said National Kidney Foundation CEO Kevin Longino, who received a kidney transplant more than 13 years ago. “Bryson’s Birdie Challenge will raise funds and awareness for our cause. We hope others will join his efforts and watch him as he birdies his way through National Donate Life Month.”