The 2014 Principal Charity Classic generated a record $1,367,749 for Central Iowa children’s charities, bringing the total donations raised from the PGA TOUR’s Champions Tour tournament, sponsored by the Principal Financial Group® and presented by Wells Fargo, to over $6.3 million. This is the fifth consecutive year the tournament broke the previous year’s record for dollars raised for charity.

“The Principal Charity Classic is number one on the Champions Tour in tournament-generated proceeds to charity for the fourth year in a row. We’re very grateful to our 308 sponsors, the 81 Champions Tour players who participated in this year’s tournament, the more than 74,000 fans who attended and the 1,200-plus volunteers who helped make this possible,” said Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO, The Principal®.

“Wells Fargo is incredibly proud to be a part of The Principal Charity Classic, which does so much good for so many kids,” said Dan Abbott, president of Retail Services, Wells Fargo. “The event is also a big boost to the Des Moines area, bringing in more than $20 million in economic impact and providing a fun event for all ages.”

Donations from the 2014 tournament will be distributed to five “FORE Our Kids” charities, as well as 130 Birdies for Charity organizations. The five “FORE Our Kids” charities are:

  • Blank Children’s Hospital
  • BRAVO Greater Des Moines
  • The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines (tournament host organization)
  • United Way of Central Iowa
  • Variety—the Children’s Charity of Iowa

The PGA TOUR and an Iowa State University study estimate the tournament generates an economic impact of $20.8 million annually for the region, including increased business for area hotels, restaurants, shopping establishments and other entertainment venues. The event also showcases Des Moines to a national television audience.

About The Principal Charity Classic
The Principal Charity Classic is an annual Champions Tour event. The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines plays host to the event, which is focused on philanthropic giving for designated “FORE Our Kids” charities. The 2015 Principal Charity Classic tournament will be played June 1 - June 7 at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa. For more information on the charities and the tournament, visit http://www.principalcharityclassic.com, or connect with the tournament on Facebook or Twitter

About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)1 is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $517.9 billion in assets under management2 and serves some 19.4 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

About The Champions Tour
Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game, with many of its 32 members in the World Golf Hall of Fame competing regularly in its events. The Tour also counts numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. The Champions Tour's primary purpose is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. Points earned in official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2013 determined Kenny Perry as the Charles Schwab Cup champion, the season-long competition designed to recognize the Champions Tour’s leading player. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is President of the Champions Tour. The PGA TOUR’s website is pgatour.com, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Follow the Champions Tour at facebook.com/ChampionsTour and on Twitter @ChampionsTour.

1 “The Principal Financial Group” and “The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

2 As of June 30, 2014.