PRESS RELEASE    

Azalea Charities Hosts Inaugural
Azalea LPGA Pro-Am Invitational
Proceeds to benefit Aid for Wounded Warriors and Local Charities

Prince William, Virginia (Feb. 22, 2011) – Frank Lasch, Chairman of Azalea Charities, announced today the launch of the first Azalea LPGA Pro-Am Invitational.  This event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2011, and promises to be an exciting climax to the three-day annual Azalea Classic, which includes a Special Olympics / Boys & Girls Club Golf Day on May 1, and a Pro-Am Invitational on May 2.  The Azalea Classic takes place at the Piedmont Club in Haymarket, Virginia, and is now in its 12th year as the premier fundraising event for Azalea Charities.

Hosting an LPGA event as part of the Azalea Classic has been a goal of Lasch’s for over two years.  “There is no LPGA event currently set in the Washington DC area,” commented Lasch.  “Since we have set an ambitious goal of raising $200,000 from the 2011 Azalea Classic, we felt that bringing in an LPGA event would be the perfect spark to create excitement for the tournament.”  Jim Luibl and Scott Abell, Co-Chairmen of the 2011 Azalea Classic, are working to bring in at least ten members of the LPGA Tour to compete for a purse of more than $32,000.

TheAnnual Azalea Classic Pro-Am Invitational, on Monday, May 2, is one of the largest Pro-Am Tournaments in the Middle Atlantic Professional Golfers Association and attracts many of the area’s top PGA professionals.

On Sunday, May 1, Azalea Charities welcomes over 80 athletes as part of their continuing support of Northern Virginia Special Olympics and Boys and Girls Clubs. Athletes enjoy a golf clinic and on-course play conducted by golf pros, sponsors and local high school golfers. Tournament proceeds from the past three years will help to send two Special Olympic golfers to the 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.

For sponsorship information or to learn more about how you can participate, please contact golf@azaleacharities.com or visit our website at www.azaleacharities.org.

About Azalea Charities
Azalea Charities is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization in Prince William County, Virginia. The organization is staffed entirely by volunteers who donate their time, talent and money. Azalea Charities raises funds for its community charities and Aid for Wounded Warriors through contributions and sponsorship of Team Azalea Charities in the Marine Corps Marathon and the Azalea Classic Pro-Am Invitational Golf Classic, the organization’s keystone event held each May at the Piedmont Club. Beyond minimal expenses, all the funds they raise go to their charitable core causes.  Further information is available at www.azaleacharities.org.

Contact:          Scott L. Abell
                        Co-Chair, Azalea Classic
                        703-357-3003
                       golf@azaleacharities.com