FROM THE NEWSROOM:Toshiba: Champion for charity

So it’s Toshiba Classic week again.

And that means if you are a golfer or work for Hoag Hospital or the Newport Beach Country Club or Toshiba, then this is a big week for you.

Why?

Well, now that you ask, it’s because when it comes to charity and supporting Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, this tournament is unmatched.

The Toshiba Classic raises millions for Newport’s premier medical center. No other community sporting event comes close.

So I had a question. Why does Toshiba, maker of computers, copiers and my big-screen TV, get involved in this tournament?

“The tournament has evolved into one of our hallmark events that we do, not only in the United States, but on a global basis,” said Mark Simons, vice president and general manager of the Digital Products Divisions of Toshiba American Information Systems.

Simons is one of three Toshiba executives in Orange County who keep the company deeply involved in the tournament. The others are Rick Taylor of Toshiba’s Business Solutions operation and Stephen Marlow, the executive vice president of the Electronic Components unit.

“We spend a significant amount of money every year on the tournament itself,” Simons said. “But our goal from a contribution standpoint is to hit $10 million in 10 years for Hoag Hospital.

And Hoag is certainly a grateful recipient.

“Gone are the days that we may all remember where cities sponsored events,” said Jeff Purser, the tournament director of the Toshiba Classic. “Those quaint little events don’t live anymore. When you see all the dollars being spent on stadiums for the NFL, the numbers are extreme. Golf isn’t any different. The bottom line is without a title sponsor, this event wouldn’t exist. We’re going to reach $10 million in 10 years. That’s an enormous accomplishment that just flat-out doesn’t happen without Toshiba.”

Simons said the Toshiba tournament and all the auxiliary events, like the Community Breakfast that takes place this morning at the Newport Beach Marriott, are all part of what he called “important aspects of our culture and involvement.”

In fact, the breakfast is his favorite part of the tournament. That’s saying a lot for a guy who has been given chances to play with such legends of golf as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Fuzzy Zoeller and more during the tournament’s pro-am festivities.

“It is our chance as Toshiba to let the community know of our involvement,” Simons said of the breakfast.

Today, 12 students from Orange County high schools, including students from Newport-Mesa, will each receive $1,000 scholarships and a Toshiba Satellite notebook computer.

In 10 years, that amounts to about $150,000 in scholarships and 87 computers awarded at these breakfast meetings.

And oh, by the way, there will be some champion golfers there for a panel discussion.

For the 1,000 or so employees of Toshiba in Orange County, the Toshiba tournament also makes for a great recruiting tool and a big boost to morale, Simons said.

Saturday is employee day at the tournament, something the local Toshiba workforce greatly looks forward to, he said.

“So we get benefits both externally and internally,” he said. “The community recognizes the endurance the tournament has and therefore they look forward to it every year.”

And Simons also takes personal pride in his company’s affiliation with the golf tournament.

“I get a smile when I walk into my grocery store in Mission Viejo and I see that person wearing the Toshiba Classic hat or Toshiba tournament T-shirt,” he said.

Purser called Toshiba “great friends of the hospital,” and he pointed to some history that some may have forgotten.

“In 1997, it looked like the tournament wasn’t going to make it,” he said. “It would have been real easy for Toshiba to walk away at that time. For a company to step up and take that chance was big. That was pretty visionary and pretty gutsy and special of them to make that commitment at that time.”

And we’re all glad they did.

If all goes well, the Toshiba Classic will mark our first foray into video reports on our websites. So watch for video reporting on our website Wednesday as well as a weeklong photo gallery of images from the tournament at www.dailypilot.com/gallery.

Hope you enjoy it all.

TODAY AT TOSHIBA