Whirlpool Community Golf Event Raises $3 Million for Southwest Michigan Youth

With 800+ golfers across six courses, the annual event brings its lifetime fundraising total to approximately $40 million.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On Aug. 2nd and 3rd, more than 800 golfers teed off for the 23rd annual Whirlpool Community Charity Golf Event, raising $3 million for local youth in the company's headquarters community in Southwest Michigan.

Supported by Whirlpool Corporation and the company's suppliers and partners from around the world, this event serves as the single largest fundraiser for vital youth organizations in the area, enabling them to provide essential services and foster a bright future for young people in the community. Over its 23-year history, the event has brought thousands of people together in our community and raised approximately $40 million, creating a lasting impact for more than 15,000 local youth every single year.

Key Beneficiaries of the Whirlpool Community Charity Golf Event:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Southwest Michigan
• First Tee of Benton Harbor
• Local public school foundations, including Benton Harbor, Lakeshore, and St. Joseph, Mich.

"For over two decades, the Whirlpool Community Charity Golf Event has united our community to raise nearly $40 million for our youth," said Pam Klyn, president of the Whirlpool Foundation. "The impact of this event is measured in more than dollars; it's in the thousands of local students who have a safe place to go after school, essential educational tools and the critical life skills to thrive—both on and off the course."

This year's golf event has a record number of players and was hosted across six local golf courses, including Point 'O Woods, Hawkshead, Orchard Hills, Chikaming, the Dunes Club, and Harbor Shores.  Players also enjoyed the new Wee Course, a 9-hole pitch-and-putt golf course designed by Hall of Fame golfer Colin Montegomerie.

Highlighting the event's ability to connect athletic excellence with community impact, attendees also gathered for a fireside chat with NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith and Indiana University Athletic Director Scott Dolson. The shared anecdotes and values of perseverance and collaboration underscored the heart of the event, rallying supporters around a collective promise to pave a brighter, opportunity-abundant path forward for Berrien County's youth.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation