PGA Tour competitor Ben Crane, a Westlake resident, is raising money for New Orleans-based charities by keeping his drives in the fairway during the 2011 season. He will get an opportunity to add to his season total at this week's Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club.
Crane has joined forces with Zurich Financial Services Group, title sponsor of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, to raise funds for the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit organization that rebuilds homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and provides mental health and wellness care for residents impacted by the natural disaster as well as last summer’s BP oil spill.
Between now and the Zurich event in New Orleans (April 25-May 1), Crane will raise $100 for the charity with every fairway he hits in a PGA Tour event. Thus far, the charitable tab in what is being called the “Driving it Home” campaign sits at roughly $11,700, with one month to go.
Crane said that his support for the project began shortly after the Katrina disaster, when he joined his father and brother in relief efforts in the city.
“Right after Katrina, my father, brother and I traveled to New Orleans to help rebuild housing,” Crane said. “That’s where my support for the city started.”
_ Jimmy Burch
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