WYNDHAM REWARDS CELEBRATES GREENSBORO SIX, ANNOUNCES MURAL AT GILLESPIE PARK
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Building on its broader efforts surrounding Wyndham Championship Fore! Good, Wyndham Rewards surprised long-time tournament philanthropic partner First Tee-Central Carolina with plans for a commemorative mural on the side of the First Tee building at historic Gillespie Golf Course, the tournament announced today. The 84th annual Wyndham Championship starts Wednesday at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
Home to the story of the Greensboro Six—key players in the civil rights movement whose purposeful actions ultimately helped lead to the desegregation of professional golf—today, the course serves as the organization’s local headquarters. The mural is being commissioned with input and oversight from community partners and will aim to elevate the story of the Greensboro Six while celebrating not only their impact on the game of golf, but the positive impact that Gillespie, through First Tee, continues to have on the central North Carolina community today.
“The story of the Greensboro Six is one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Checchio said. “Their actions had a profound impact not just on Greensboro and the Wyndham Championship, which in 1961 as the Greater Greensboro Open became the first PGA TOUR event to welcome a black player, but the game of golf. Their story should be known, and it should be celebrated. It’s our hope that by commissioning this mural, we can do just that.
“We are incredibly excited that the story of the Greensboro 6, though this mural, will come alive to our kids in new and profound ways,” First Tee – Central Carolina CEO Ryan Wilson said. “It was through their courage and bravery that we’re where we are today. Huge thanks to Wyndham for leaning into the story of the Greensboro six and supporting the First Tee efforts to use golf as a vehicle to provide life changing opportunities to kids.”
In addition to unveiling its plans for the mural, Wyndham also joined with the Wyndham Championship in making an additional donation of $200,000 in support of First Tee, helping to further the organization’s mission of helping children of all backgrounds build life skills through the game of golf. Since 2007, the collective efforts of Wyndham and the tournament have helped to raise and donate millions to the organization.
For more information on the Greensboro Six, please visit: https://bit.ly/3OqbnAS
About the Wyndham Championship:
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham Championship was founded in 1938 and is the seventh-oldest event on the PGA TOUR excluding the Majors. The tournament thanks title sponsor Wyndham Rewards and presenting sponsor Truist for their continued support. Additional tournament information is available at www.wyndhamchampionship.com and the tournament’s social media channels, including the Wyndham Championship Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.
About Wyndham Rewards:
Named the number one hotel rewards program by both USA TODAY and US News & World Report, Wyndham Rewards® is the world’s most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. Designed for the everyday traveler, members earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every qualified stay and may redeem points for a wide range of rewards, including free nights at any of approximately 9,100 hotels or tens of thousands of vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally through affiliation with Wyndham Destinations and others. Wyndham Rewards has over 103 million enrolled members around the globe. Join for free today at www.wyndhamrewards.com.
About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts:
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (NYSE: WH) is the world’s largest hotel franchising company by the number of properties, with approximately 9,100 hotels across over 95 countries on six continents. Through its network of approximately 852,000 rooms appealing to the everyday traveler, Wyndham commands a leading presence in the economy and midscale segments of the lodging industry. The Company operates a portfolio of 24 hotel brands, including Super 8®, Days Inn®, Ramada®, Microtel®, La Quinta®, Baymont®, Wingate®, AmericInn®, Hawthorn Suites®, Trademark Collection® and Wyndham®. The Company’s award-winning Wyndham Rewards loyalty program offers over 103 million enrolled members the opportunity to redeem points at thousands of hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals globally. For more information, visit www.wyndhamhotels.com.
About Club Wyndham:
Club Wyndham® is the flagship vacation ownership brand as part of Wyndham Destinations, the world’s largest vacation ownership business. From the busy streets of the Big Apple to the calming shores of Hawaii, Club Wyndham owners have access to more than 100 resorts to unlock new cities, new experiences and new destinations. Club Wyndham lets travelers spark their sense of adventure with spacious resort suites featuring the comforts of home, including fully equipped kitchens, separate living and dining areas, and separate bedrooms, plus resort amenities and quality service. Wander across town, across the country or across the ocean – no matter what’s on your travel bucket list, Club Wyndham offers the chance to live it. All Club Wyndham resorts participate in Wyndham Rewards®, the number one hotel rewards program as named by readers of USA TODAY, and the world’s most generous rewards program with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. Club Wyndham is part of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE: TNL) and its portfolio of travel businesses. For more information, visit ClubWyndham.com. Connect with us on Twitter: @ClubWyndham; Facebook: @ClubWyndham; and Instagram: @ClubWyndham.
Photo Caption: Wyndham Rewards is commissioning a commemorative mural on the side of the First Tee building at historic Gillespie Golf Course in honor of the Greensboro Six—key players in the civil rights movement whose purposeful actions ultimately helped lead to the desegregation of professional golf. The mural will take the place of this blank space at the Greensboro, N.C. golf course, home of The First Tee-Central Carolina. (Photo Courtesy: Zachary Stinson)
Courtesy of Rob Goodman, Wyndham Championship Director of Media Relations