HARTFORD – Newtown native Dan Baker, who helped make the Canon GHO (now known as the Buick Championship) one of the premier events on the PGA Tour, has accepted a position as Senior Director of Golf at Octagon, an international sports marketing firm.

The appointment was effective March 14. Mr Baker will continue to be involved with the Buick Championship tournament at the TPC at River Highlands in an advisory capacity through the 2005 tournament.

“This was an extremely difficult decision,” said Mr Baker. “I enjoyed my five years here immensely, but was presented with a terrific opportunity to grow in the golf and sports industry that I just couldn’t refuse. Additionally, in my new capacity working with all of Octagon’s professional golfers on a national and international level, I’ll be able to maintain my ties to the tournament and continue to contribute to its future growth.”

Daniel Stolzenberg, president of the Greater Hartford Jaycees, the charitable organization responsible for producing the tournament, said, “Although we are sorry to see him go, we are pleased that the good work he has done on both the GHO and the Buick Championship prepared him for a promotion into a global position with Octagon. We want to thank him for the many contributions he has made to the tournament during his tenure; including helping us develop a professional staff to produce one of the PGA Tour’s most well-attended events. With over 50 years of combined experience and success, the team of Jaycee volunteers on the Executive Committee and the full-time professional staff are moving confidently towards this year’s tournament.”

A national search for a new tournament director will begin immediately. Tournament officials anticipate filling the position well before the 2005 Buick Championship, which will be held August 22-28.

In the interim, Baker’s responsibilities will be shared by the six-person full-time staff – which has extensive experience in all phases of tournament operations and marketing – and the twenty-member tournament Executive Committee.

“All of us at Buick enjoyed working with Dan and were continually impressed with his high level of knowledge of the golf business and his relationship with the players,” said Larry Peck, Buick golf marketing manager. “We’ll miss working with Dan, but know he’ll excel in his new position.”

The Buick Championship, one of New England’s premier sporting events, is one of the PGA Tour’s most well-attended events, having averaged more than 250,000 spectators annually over the last 10 years. The Tournament has raised more than $24 million for Hartford area charities since it’s inception in 1952.

The Buick Championship is the sole fundraiser of the Greater Hartford Jaycees. The Jaycees channel those funds back into the community to improve the lives of those most in need by feeding the hungry, building affordable housing, helping children and much more. The Greater Hartford Jaycees is an organization of 400 volunteers, ages 21-39, which promotes leadership training through community service.

For more information, check the tournament website at www.buickchampionship.com.

Birdies For Charity

During a “celebrity long drive” competition held at Golfer’s Warehouse in Hartford in December, the Greater Hartford Jaycees announced that nearly $40,000 was raised from its Birdies For Charity program at the 2004 Buick Championship.

Thirty-eight charities from Hartford to Middletown benefitted.

“The ‘Birdies For Charity’ program is the ultimate grassroots fundraiser,” said Shawn Daly, event chairman and 2004 Director of Public Relations for the Greater Hartford Jaycees Foundation.

“It is exciting that the thirty-eight participating charities represent more than dozen communities statewide, from Hartford to Middletown,” Daly added. “The program brought together diverse charities that assist the disabled, disadvantaged, elderly and youth.”

The Greater Hartford Jaycees have indicated that its goal for 2005 is 100 charities and $100,000.

The announcement was made during a recent “celebrity long drive” competition at Golfer’s Warehouse in Hartford - where the participants hit marshmallows off the tee instead of golf balls.

Under this new fundraising program, which has seen great success on the PGA Tour, individuals and/or corporations pledged a minimum of one cent per birdie made during all four rounds of the 2004 Buick Championship, including the pro am, to a designated charity or charities.

At the conclusion of the tournament the total number of birdies were calculated and the Jaycees Foundation office, which handled all administrative responsibilities for the participating charities, mailed invoices to donors.

Donors sent their checks to the Jaycees office, which distributed 100% of the donations directly to the designated charity.

A total of 1,690 birdies were made by PGA Tour pros at the 2004 Buick Championship.