The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announces 2024 charitable donation

December 26, 2024

At Behind Your Design, we are proud to have played a key role in organizing and coordinating the Small Business Marketing campaign for The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. This collaborative effort brought together 50 businesses from Frankenmuth to Rochester, amplifying awareness and participation for the 2024 tournament. Our campaign not only highlighted local small businesses but also contributed to the overall success of the event, which raised over $1 million for charitable organizations, including more than $884,000 for Genesee County charities. The campaign’s success demonstrates the power of community collaboration and strategic marketing in driving meaningful impact.

SEVENTH ANNUAL PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS EVENT GENERATES MORE THAN 

$1 MILLION FOR CHARITY IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN AND BEYOND

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – Officials of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren announced today that the seventh playing of the official PGA TOUR Champions event, which concluded August 25, 2024, at Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club, raised a total of $1,005,260.21 for charitable organizations in southeastern Michigan and beyond, surpassing the $1 million mark for the fifth time in the tournament’s brief history.


Since its inception in 2018, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren has donated nearly $8.4 million to support charity. 

This year’s total includes $884,679.74 in support of Genesee County Charities. Overall, more than 31 charities were positively impacted by The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren this year, including a portion of the funds for 24 plus crucial programs identified by the tournament’s primary beneficiary, United Way of Genesee County (UWGC). 


For more than 100 years UWGC has been addressing educational outcomes, health access, financial stability, and the basic needs of Genesee County residents; the UWGC leverages donations from more than 200 workplace campaigns and individual investors to support over 150 programs. Last year dollars raised impacted over 100,000 lives representing every zip code of Genesee County. 


The tournament’s investment will impact more than 30,000 individuals in Genesee County through three priority areas: Financial Literacy, Affordable Housing and Employment. 


“Thank you to all the fans, players and sponsors who attended the 2024 Ally Challenge,” said James Gaskin, CEO, United Way of Genesee County. “Your participation is supporting home repairs with Habitat for Humanity; helping homeless veterans get back on their feet at My Brother’s Keeper; teaching kids the importance of fiscal management; and more than 20 other crucial programs helping our most vulnerable neighbors. A very special thank you to Ally and McLaren for this opportunity to impact our community.” 


The Ally Challenge’s 2024 total charitable giving amount contains money generated through several philanthropic tournament initiatives, including the Ally Charity Chip In, Tickets FORE Charity and the dollars raised by this year’s Celebrity Challenge. 

"Surpassing the $1 million mark for the fifth time is a proud moment for us and reflects our deep commitment to southeastern Michigan,” said Mike Rizer, executive director of corporate citizenship at Ally. “These funds will support vital programs that create stronger, brighter futures in the communities we serve. We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support of our sponsors, participants, and volunteers whose dedication makes this achievement possible. Together, we are making a lasting difference in the lives of thousands, and we look forward to continuing this impactful journey." 


“These significant charitable dollars raised through the unwavering commitment of sponsors, organizers, volunteers and patrons are a true testament to the value this tournament brings to our region,” said Laurie Prochazka, VP of Community Partnerships at McLaren Health Care. “These funds will benefit thousands of people in meeting basic needs over the next year. McLaren could not be more proud to join with our tournament partners in delivering an event that makes such a positive impact on people’s lives.” 


In addition to UWGC, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren’s 2024 tournament efforts benefited additional charities and non-profits in the region, from operational partners such as Grand Blanc Schools and Charlie’s Forever Farm, to youth development programs like First Tee of Eastern Michigan, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint and Flint Junior Golf, among others. Furthermore, the tournament continues to grow stronger each year and make a meaningful difference in the region with an estimated annual economic impact of over $20 million. 


“On behalf of HNS Sports Group and our tournament staff, I would like to thank Ally, McLaren Health Care and all our sponsors and fans for helping make the gift of these funds a reality,” said Erin Stone, Director of Business Development and Community Relations, The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren. “The tradition of giving this tournament has established in the southeastern Michigan community is inspiring and we are committed to growing that charitable spirit for years to come.” 

The 2025 Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will take place the week of August 18 – 24 at renowned Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club. 


The Ally Challenge will be one of the premier Regular Season events on the PGA TOUR Champions in 2025, which will give way to the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs⎯a season-ending, three-tournament series used to determine the TOUR’s season-long champion. 


All three rounds of The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren will be broadcast on Golf Channel. 


For more information about The Ally Challenge, please visit theallychallenge.com. For the latest Ally Challenge news and updates on social media follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @AllyChallenge and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllyChallenge. 



About The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren 

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren is an official event on the PGA TOUR Champions owned and operated by Tournaments for Charity, a Michigan non-profit corporation. This 54-hole stroke play golf tournament features 78 PGA TOUR Champions professionals competing for a $2 million purse at the historic Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, MI. The event is designed to showcase the best golf on the PGA TOUR Champions for the enjoyment of spectators and to benefit local charities in the greater Flint area. All three official rounds will be internationally televised on the Golf Channel. 

For more information about The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren, please visit theallychallenge.com. For the latest Ally Challenge news and updates on social media, follow the tournament on Twitter and Instagram at @AllyChallenge and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AllyChallenge. 

About Ally Financial 

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to "Do It Right" for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a consumer credit card business, a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. A relentless ally for all things money, Ally helps people save well and earn well, so they can spend for what matters. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial. 

For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures. 

For further images and news on Ally, please visit http://media.ally.com. 

About McLaren Health Care 

McLaren Health Care, headquartered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, is a $7.3 billion, fully integrated health care delivery system committed to quality, evidence-based patient care and cost efficiency. The McLaren system includes 13 hospitals in Michigan, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, a 640-member employed primary and specialty care physician network, commercial and Medicaid HMOs covering more than 732,838 lives in Michigan and Indiana, home health, infusion and hospice providers, pharmacy services, a clinical laboratory network and a wholly owned medical malpractice insurance company. McLaren operates Michigan’s largest network of cancer centers and providers, anchored by the Karmanos Cancer Institute, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. McLaren has 28,000 full-, part-time and contracted employees and more than 113,000 network providers throughout Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Learn more at mclaren.org. 

About HNS Sports Group 

HNS Sports Group is a Dublin, Ohio-based LLC founded in 2000. The company offers over 125-plus years of collective experience and is committed to providing professional, efficient and effective client representation in the categories of sponsorship consultation, event management, hospitality management, sales representation and tournament operations within the golf market. To learn more about HNS Sports Group, visit www.hnssports.com. 

Media Contact 

Thomas P. Sprouse 

Director of Communications, 

The Ally Challenge presented by McLaren 

E-Mail: tsprouse@hnssports.com 

Office: 614-889-6791 

Mobile: 614-519-1873 

### 

More Ways to Wear Your Brand With Custom Stores

September 9, 2026
Branded apparel doesn’t have to mean choosing one shirt, one color and hoping everyone likes it. A custom online store gives people more ways to find something that fits their personal style while still representing your brand. At Behind Your Design, we create custom pop-up stores year-round for businesses, organizations, teams, events and special campaigns. With more options for apparel styles, colors, sizes and decoration methods, a custom store can turn branded apparel into something people are genuinely excited to order and wear. A Fresh Take on Pure Barre Apparel We recently created custom stores for Pure Barre that show just how much personality you can bring to branded apparel. For our local Pure Barre studio, we created a collegiate-inspired collection featuring block chenille lettering reminiscent of classic game-day apparel. It gave the Pure Barre brand a completely different look while still feeling cohesive, recognizable and wearable. We also created a seasonal Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness store that was made available to Pure Barre studios across the country. The collection combined a timely theme with a larger purpose, giving studios access to special apparel while also supporting a breast cancer fundraiser. These stores can be seasonal, tied to a fundraiser or event, or simply created to give your brand a fresh, creative twist.

Small Businesses, Big Impact at the 2026 Ally Challenge

By Chelsea Mills • September 9, 2026
From grassroots marketing and community impact to concerts, hospitality and championship golf, the 2026 tournament had it all.

Spartans, Come See Behind Your Design at the MSU Vendor Fair!

By Chelsea Mills • September 8, 2026
We’re Heading to Michigan State University!

A Smart Take on the Classic Reusable Bag

September 8, 2026
Reusable bags are one of those promotional products that just make sense. They’re practical, versatile and give your brand plenty of room to be seen. But there’s always one problem: remembering to actually bring them with you.  That’s what makes a foldable reusable bag such a smart option. Instead of taking up space when it’s not being used, it folds down into a compact size that’s easy to keep close by. Toss it in a purse, backpack, glove compartment or desk drawer, and it’s ready when you need it.

Celebrate It. Promote It. Put It on a Banner.

September 8, 2026
When you have something worth showing off, banners make it hard to miss. Custom banners are one of those marketing tools that can work for just about any occasion. Th ey’re big enough to get attention, flexible enough to work indoors or outdoors, and customizable to fit everything from a single celebration to a large event. Whether you’re building brand visibility, recognizing sponsors, celebrating an accomplishment or directing attention to an important message, a well-designed banner gives you plenty of space to make an impact.

Get Your Brand in the Halloween Spirit

September 8, 2026
Halloween isn’t just for costumes and candy. It’s also a fun opportunity to get your brand out into the community! From business trick-or-treating and trunk-or-treats to Witches Night Out events, fall festivals , and Halloween parties , there are plenty of ways to join in the fun with promotional products people will be excited to receive. Candy is always a crowd-pleaser, and custom packaging, treat bags, or branded sweets can turn a simple giveaway into a memorable touchpoint. But Halloween promo doesn’t have to stop at the candy bowl. Think glow sticks and safety lights for trick-or-treaters, reusable bags for collecting goodies, festive drinkware for adults, or other Halloween-themed giveaways that fit the occasion. Whether you’re planning something for kids, adults, or a little bit of both, there are plenty of ways to find something fun and useful. Getting your brand into the holiday spirit is an easy way to create a positive association with your business while increasing visibility in your community. A little Halloween fun can go a long way toward keeping your name top of mind. We’ve rounded up 12 Halloween promotional product ideas to help you get started. Take a look, find your favorites, and let Behind Your Design help you make them your own!
Show More