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In the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund's first year, 113 participating charities raised close to a quarter of a million dollars through the Turning Stone Resort Championship PGA TOUR® event. Now in 2008, the same number of groups again is working to raise money for their own causes by selling tickets to the second Championship.

Last year, 113 groups raised $241,804, and the monies benefited more than 223,000 people in the region served by those organizations, the charities reported. This year, 113 groups have again enrolled to participate in the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund "tickets for charity" program. The participating groups are diverse in purpose and are spread throughout Upstate New York across eight different counties.

The fund-raising is supported by the Oneida Indian Nation, and is highly unique due to the 100% return on efforts, noted Ray Halbritter, chair of the Upstate New York Empowerment Fund and Nation Representative and CEO of the Oneida Nation.

Groups members and volunteers sell tickets to the Championship event, turn in ticket orders with collected cash and return tickets to the buyers. After the tournament, checks for 100% of the face value of all tickets sold by each group is returned to that group for their use in serving their constituents however they choose.

In 2007, the initial year of the effort, the top selling group was the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of Central New York, Inc., which raised and received back $25,312. Other top earning groups for 2007 were: Golisano Children's Hospital, Upstate University ($9,230); Rome Catholic School ($8,155); Rescue Mission of Syracuse ($6,640); Crouse Health Foundation, Crouse Hospital ($6,355); Positively Pink Packages ($6,190); St. Lucy's Church ($5,875); Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum ($5,665); Clinton Swim Club ($5,455); and American Cancer Society, E. Syracuse ($5,340).            

In 2007, 14 organizations earned back more than $5,000 apiece; 28 groups raised more than $3,000 apiece, and 64 organizations topped $1,000 each for their efforts.

The geographic composition of 2008's participating organizations has widened to eight different counties in the Upstate New York region. This year, there is one group from Cayuga County; three groups from Cortland County; one from Herkimer County; four from Madison County; one from Monroe County; 46 from Oneida County; 55 from Onondaga County; and two organizations from Oswego County participating.

The enrollment period for this year's program has ended.

Participating organizations for 2008 are:
            
Cayuga County
Cayuga County Arts Council

Cortland County
American Red Cross, Cortland County Chapter
Cortland Memorial Foundation, Inc.
YWCA of Cortland

Herkimer County
Valley Health Services, Inc.

Madison County
Building Futures Foundation
Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum
Sullivan Free Library
Wanderers' Rest Humane Association

Monroe County
Bishop Kearney High School

Oneida County
Abraham House
American Diabetes Association
The ARC, Oneida-Lewis Chapter-Friends of the ARC Foundation
Central Association for the Blind, Inc.
Central New York Labor Agency
Clinton Swim Club
Constable Hall Association
Cornhill Community for Change
Family Advocacy Center, Inc.
Family Services of the Mohawk Valley, Inc.
Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare Foundation-Children's Miracle Network
Genesis Group, The
Habitat for Humanity (Oneida Co.)
Historic Old St. John's Charity Outreach
Holland Patent Chapter NSDAR
House of the Good Shepherd, The
Jewish Community Federation of the Mohawk Valley
Kids Oneida Inc.
Kirkland Art Center
Kirkland Town Library
Leatherstocking Ballet
Mid-York Child Care Coordinating Council, Inc.
Mohawk Valley Chapter, SPEBSQSA, Inc.
Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, Inc.
Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network, Inc.
North Utica Senior Citizens Community Center, Inc.
Our Lady of Lourdes School
Parkway Senior Center
Presbyterian Homes Foundation, Inc.
Rome Baseball Association, Inc.
Rome Catholic School
Rome Community Concert Band, Inc.
Rome Memorial Hospital Foundation
Rome Sports Hall of Fame
Rome Youth Hockey Association
The Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area
Sauquoit Valley Foundation
St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation
St. John the Evangelist Church
St. Louis Gonzaga Church
St. Mary's School
Stone Presbyterian Church
Sunset Neighborhood, Inc.
Thea Bowman House, Inc.
Utica Zoological Society, Inc.
YMCA of the Greater Tri-Valley

Onondaga County
American Cancer Society
Auxiliary to Community General Hospital
Baldwinsville Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc.
Believers Chapel Upwards Ministry
Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School
Boy Scouts of America - Troop 62 - Tully
Boys & Girls Club of Syracuse
Camp Good Days & Special Times
Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund of CNY
Cathedral Emergency Services
Central New York Challenged Champions Fund
Chadwick Residence Incorporated
Church of the Holy Family
Crouse Health Foundation, Inc.
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Down Syndrome Association of Central New York, Inc.
Eastwood Rotary Foundation
Eldercare Foundation
Elmcrest Children's Center
Erie Canal Museum
Everest Foundation
Everson Museum of Art
FM-JD Meals on Wheels
Franciscan Collaborative Ministries
From the Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc.
Golisano Children's Hospital
Hiawatha Seaway Council
Hope for Bereaved Inc.
It's About Childhood & Family, Inc.
Junior Achievement of CNY, Inc.
KARE Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York
Meals on Wheels of Syracuse
Mental Health Association of Onondaga County
Mercy Works, Inc.
Multiple Sclerosis Resources of Central New York, Inc.
North Area Meals on Wheels, Inc.(partners with Meals on Wheels of Syracuse)
Onondaga County Chapter, SPEBSQSA, Inc
Person to Person
Positively Pink Packages
Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse
Ronald McDonald House Charities of CNY
Southside Interfaith Community Development Corporation
St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center Foundation
St. Lucy's Church
The Alumni Association of SUNY College of ESF
Syracuse Community Health Center, Inc.
Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
Syracuse Jewish Family Service, Inc.
Syracuse Lions Club Charity Fund, Inc.
Syracuse Northeast Community Center
Syracuse Youth Golf/The First Tee of Syracuse, Inc.
Transitional Living Services
United Cerebral Palsy & Handicapped Children's Association of Syracuse Inc.(Enable)
YMCA of Greater Syracuse

Oswego County
Catholic Charities of Oswego County
United Way of Greater Oswego County