Known for its exclusivity and luxurious amenities, The Greenbrier is a place some people may never get to see or experience in their lives.
A partnership between the state Department of Commerce, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Children's Home Society has allowed some underprivileged kids to experience the sights and sounds of The Greenbrier Classic and the concerts that accompany it.
West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Keith Burdette said the Department of Commerce began giving its extra grounds tickets for the tournament to the two organizations in 2013 after extra grounds passes had gone to waste for several years. As a sponsor of The Greenbrier Classic, the state gets a certain number of complimentary grounds passes and seats at a box above the 18th green of The Old White TPC, but many of the grounds passes weren't being used.
Burdette said officials decided to do some good with the tickets by helping youth get the experience of a lifetime.
"I can't just pick my friends out and give them tickets, so we made a decision that we needed to give them to groups - especially kids' groups, that would never get the opportunity to see a PGA tournament or a big-name concert," Burdette said.
About 30 children are attending the tournament each day this week along with adult chaperones from their organizations, using grounds passes donated by the state. Sarah McDowell, executive director of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia, said it's a tremendous opportunity for the kids whose parents can't provide them experiences like a trip to The Greenbrier - or in the case of foster kids with the Children's Home Society, the kids' parents aren't in their lives at all.
"It's a tremendous opportunity," McDowell said. "Some of our kids never leave Charleston. We have one young man who told me the other day he's never even been to a West Virginia Power baseball game."
Ezion Ball, 7, of Charleston, was able to experience many firsts at The Greenbrier Classic. His first golf tournament. His first concert. And his first run-in with a celebrity - he got a special visit from retired NBA basketball star Shaquille O'Neal, who was participating in the pro-am Wednesday.
"He's real big," said an awe-stricken Ball.
It's those kinds of experiences, Burdette said, that make the partnership worth it. He said it doesn't take much effort for the Department of Commerce to get the state's extra tickets to the charitable organizations, but the experiences those tickets provide for the kids are immeasurable.
"I talk to them every year and they all have big smiles on their face and they're having a great time," Burdette said. "It seems like so little to us, but it's big to them."
Chelsea Ruby, communications director for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, said more than 150 kids have been able to attend The Greenbrier Classic through the Children's Home Society and Big Brothers Big Sisters. McDowell said she is grateful that the state has provided the youth with lasting memories from a place they'd otherwise never get to step foot.
"These are opportunities that would otherwise not be afforded to them without the generosity of sponsors and individuals who are willing to provide tickets and give these kids something they would never see," McDowell said. "We can't wait to see Ezion when he sees The Greenbrier. For anybody, young or old, it's a tremendous experience."
Contact writer Marcus Constantino at 304-348-1796 or marcus.c@dailymailwv.com. Follow him at www.twitter.com/amtino.