NEEDTOBREATHE Golf Classic a Stroke of Luck for OneWorld Health
Proceeds provide funding for medical care in Nicaragua and Uganda
Stormy skies didn’t dampen spirits at the sixth annual NEEDTOBREATHE Classic held April 23 at the Daniel Island Golf Club in partnership with Commonwealth Cares Foundation. The golf outing, which featured athletes, musicians and pro players, raised more than $200,000 in support of the international nonprofit OneWorld Health.
In 2013, the Commonwealth Cares Foundation partnered with NEEDTOBREATHE on the foundation’s annual charity golf tournament with hopes of creating something special. The focus was on developing an event that not only raised valuable funds but also increased awareness of the mission of OneWorld Health, a nonprofit organization based in Charleston that aims to bring sustainable quality healthcare to developing communities in Central America and Africa.
The partnership resulted in a first-class two-day event that combines the best of golf, music and giving. To date, more than $1.2 million has been raised to start and sustain two NEEDTOBREATHE Medical Centers in Tola and Jinotega, Nicaragua.
Slogging it out on the fairways until heavy rain forced players back to the clubhouse were Gamecocks Sterling Sharpe and Connor Shaw, Clemson Tiger Kevin Youngblood, three-time GRAMMY winner TobyMac, country artist David Nail, friends of the band including John Mark McMillan and Jon McLaughlin, and five-time GRAMMY nominee Hunter Hayes, who performed with breakout country star Devin Dawson.
The Charleston-based foursome that makes up NEEDTOBREATHE is lauded for their humanitarian efforts and widely acknowledged by music devotees and media tastemakers for their anthemic, alt-rock dynamic. Brothers Bear Rinehart (vocals, guitar) and Bo Rinehart (guitar, vocals), Seth Bolt (bassist/vocalist), and Josh Lovelace (keyboardist/vocalist) have earned those accolades through musicianship and innovation.
Their forthcoming collection of songs, Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions), has garnered attention after the release of the first track, “Bridges Burn,” and is the title of their 37-city headlining tour that kicks off Aug. 10 with stops at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville, the Greek in Los Angeles, and a likely third career sell-out at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo. The tour ends on Oct. 7 with a performance at the Volvo Car Stadium on Daniel Island.
About NEEDTOBREATHE
NEEDTOBREATHE is a GRAMMY-nominated rock band hailing from South Carolina, comprised of brothers Bear Rinehart (vocals, guitar) and Bo Rinehart (guitar, vocals), Seth Bolt (bass, vocals), and Josh Lovelace (keys, vocals). Their most recent album H A R D L O V E released in 2016 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Albums, Top Current Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts and #2 on the Billboard 200, their greatest debut yet. H A R D L O V E is the follow-up to 2014’s Rivers In the Wasteland, which debuted at #3 overall on the Billboard 200 and spawned the RIAA-certified Gold single “Brother (feat. Gavin DeGraw).” The hit earned the group their first GRAMMY nomination as well as a pair of Billboard Music Award nominations. NEEDTOBREATHE, well known for the aggressive touring schedule and impressive live show, celebrated three consecutive sold out shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, as well as sell outs at Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), Ascend Amphitheatre (Nashville), Aragon Ballroom (Chicago), Verizon Theatre (DFW) and more. NEEDTOBREATHE will release their 4-track EP – Forever On Your Side (Niles City Sound Sessions) – on July 13 and embark on the 35+ city “Forever On Your Side Tour” this summer and fall. For more information, visit needtobreathe.com.
ABOUT COMMONWEALTH CARES FOUNDATION
Incorporated in 2007 as the charitable arm of Commonwealth Financial Group, the Commonwealth Cares Foundation is a tangible manifestation of our corporate VISION. The Foundation initially provided gifts and raised awareness for local organizations through our annual charity golf event. Today, the Foundation, a 501(c) 3 organization, is an active member in the community. Through outreach efforts and generous giving by dedicated volunteers and corporate sponsors, we’ve had a lasting impact on people and organizations close to our hearts. …Winston Churchill once wrote “we make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
ABOUT ONEWORLD HEALTH
Our vision is to see impoverished communities take ownership in a sustainable healthcare model, so that they become empowered to bring about long-term change and tangible improvements in their health and quality of life. Our mission is to provide quality, affordable healthcare to people in need. We have developed a model that provides affordable healthcare to the communities who need it most and does not require ongoing support to keep the doors open. Each OneWorld Health medical center offers a full scope of healthcare services to the community, delivered by trained nationals and offered at a price point that is affordable to the overwhelming majority of the population. Patient fees offset the costs of running the clinic, eventually meeting or exceeding the total monthly operating costs.
Photo attached: Pictured are NEEDTOBREATHE band members, from left, Bo Rinehart, Bear Rinehart, Seth Bolt, Josh Lovelace
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