Four Receive Third Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships

Contact Neal Reid
LPGA
386-274-6200

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 27, 2002) - Gerald Allen of Bear, Del., Kristi Whitacre of Orange City, Fla., Charma Bell of Wilmington, Del., and Karla Gruhn of Fort Myers, Fla., are the 2002 recipients of the third annual Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC(R)) Youth Golf Scholarship. The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and RMHC(R) established the program in 2000 to award scholarships to junior golfers who have participated in an LPGA Urban Youth Golf Program, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf or an established junior golf program directed by an LPGA member. Recipients receive a $2,500 scholarship for continuing education.

"We were very impressed with the caliber of students applying for the Ronald McDonald House Charities/LPGA Urban Youth Program Scholarships," said Ken Barun, president and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities. "Their passion for learning and dedication to their communities made them stand out as excellent role models for todays youth."

Allen, who joined the LPGA Urban Youth Golf Program in 1996, will attend the Johnson and Wales University in Norfolk, Va., in the fall, where he will pursue a degree in culinary arts. In 2001, he received a $1,000 scholarship from The Restaurant School and placed third in a state competition for culinary arts. He is a two-time member of the LPGA Junior Advisory Board, the executive committee where he served as vice president since 2001 and treasurer of the teen group in 2000-01. He also has been active in various sporting activities, such as wrestling competitions, baseball, football, lacrosse and basketball.

Whitacre graduated from DeLand High School in DeLand, Fla., and will attend Stetson University (Deland, Fla.) in the fall, where she hopes to earn a degree in elementary education. Whitacre has been active in the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf of Daytona Beach, Fla., for the past five years and is active in the Volusia-Flagler (Fla.) Junior Golf Association. She earned a 3.9 grade point average and played on the girls' varsity golf team all four years, holding the first or second position throughout her career. Whitacre, who maintained a perfect attendance record for all four years of high school, volunteers with her church youth group serving terminally ill children at Give Kids the World.

Bell, who started with the LPGA Urban Youth Golf Program of Wilmington, Del., in 1996, served on the Junior Advisory Board for five of the six years she was in the program. She was a member of her high school National Honor Society, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League National Achievers Society and was listed on the Who's Who Among American High School Students list. She has received the following awards: City of Wilmington Academic Honors Award; FAME Math and Science Awards; and Congressional Art Award. Bell will attend LaSalle University in Philadelphia, Pa., in the fall and pursue a degree in graphic design.

Gruhn graduated from Cypress Lake High School in Fort Myers, Fla., and will attend Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., to pursue a degree in sports management and business administration. A six-year member of LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, Gruhn volunteered as a standard-bearer for two years at the LPGA's Subaru Memorial of Naples in Naples, Fla., and was a volunteer assistant for three summers with the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf. She is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and the German Honor Society, and received first-place honors in Futures Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitions. In addition, she was a four-year member of her high school golf team, three-year member of the softball team and also participated in the South Fort Myers (Fla.) Little League, Track Club and Soccer Club.

The RMHC(R) Youth Golf Scholarship is administered by The LPGA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. RMHC(R), an official sponsor of the LPGA, also supports the LPGA's youth initiatives by serving as the title sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House Charities LPGA Tour Junior Clinic Program. The program, offered at 14 LPGA Tour sites in 2002, provides junior golfers with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of the game through junior clinics in a fun and exciting atmosphere. Each clinic follows a "hands-on," two-hour format and has an average of 200 children in attendance. The clinics feature instruction and exhibitions by both LPGA Tour players and LPGA T&CP Division members.

RMHC provides comfort and care to children and families through its network of local Charities currently serving in 32 countries. The Charity makes grants to not-for-profit organizations and provides support to Ronald McDonald Houses worldwide. To date, RMHC's national body and its global network of local Charities have awarded nearly $250 million in grants to children's programs worldwide. The Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) the designated charity of the McDonald's LPGA Championship Presented by AIG, one of the LPGA's four majors, in Wilmington, Del. The tournament has raised more than $30 million for RMHC since 1981.