
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – June 25, 2019— This Wednesday, June 26, The First Tee of Hampton Roads celebrates the unveiling of a new pavilion area that will serve as an additional space, expanding The First Tee’s 55 acre facility and footprint in teaching life skills to youth through the game of golf.
This new pavilion was made possible by Bob Lawson, Steve Lawson and The Lawson Companies. Lawson is a company who since 1972 has been focused on positively impacting the communities they serve. In 2018, Lawson became a partner of The First Tee Legacy Society— donors who commit $20,000 or more to the mission of The First Tee in order impact future generations. Lawson built the structure through a collaborative effort with assistance from Site Concepts, Speight, Marshall & Francis DFI/GEM, Harbor Construction Company, CPG, Inc., and McDaniel’s Siding and Roofing. These business partners contributed greatly to the project either through design assistance or construction labor and supplies.
The First Tee of Hampton Roads, operated by the YMCA of South Hampton Roads and located next to the Virginia Beach National Golf Course, is a chapter of the National First Tee program founded by the PGA. Locally, The First Tee of Hampton Roads serves over 30,000 kids annually. These participants learn to play golf while learning important life lessons and developing strong leadership skills. For The First Tee, golf is so much more than a game—it is a way to grow confidence through the Nine Core Values of the program: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment.
With the help of the Lawson Companies, The First Tee of Hampton Roads now has a central outdoor space with The Lawson Pavilion to be used for additional activities to compliment the important youth development work already being done on their outdoor learning center and golf course.
About Lawson
At Lawson, we understand that what we do – and how we do it – affects the everyday lives of people we care about. Since 1972, we’ve focused on positively impacting the communities we serve, from team members and residents to investors and business partners. We manage and own approximately 5,500 apartments in Virginia and South Carolina and are continuing to grow by developing more apartment communities each year throughout Virginia. Our business model provides vertical integration of development, construction, property management and asset management, which enables our team of experts to add value at every stage for our partners. When you act with integrity, focus on quality and work to find creative solutions, great things are possible. It’s how we’ve done business at Lawson for over 45 years. For more information, visit www.lawsoncompanies.com.
About The First Tee of Hampton Roads
The mission of The First Tee of Hampton Roads is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy living choices through the game of golf. Comprised of multiple location, our 55-acre Virginia Beach facility is our main program location and includes a nine-hole course, driving range, putting green, short-game practice area and Learning Center/Clubhouse. We also operate programs on the Eastern Shore, in Norfolk, In Suffolk, Moyock and in Franklin. The First Tee of Hampton Roads is a location of the YMCA of South Hampton Roads.
About The YMCA of South Hampton Roads
The YMCA of South Hampton Roads is a nonprofit, community-based health and human services organization that serves over 250,000 children and families throughout Coastal Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. More than 30% of those families receive financial assistance through the Open Doors program, whose funding is made available by the generosity of donors, helping them achieve their full potential in spirit, mind and body. The Y’s doors are open to people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities and incomes.