On Saturday, July 8, the 2023 Ambassador of Golf Award was presented to Golden State Warriors four-time NBA Champion, Stephen Curry at an event sponsored by the FirstEnergy Foundation.

“It’s an honor to once again partner with the Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation as the presenting sponsor of the Ambassador of Golf event,” said Lorna Wisham, vice president of public affairs and community involvement and president of the FirstEnergy Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of the greater Akron community, nonprofit organizations across northeast Ohio are receiving meaningful support.”

The award is presented annually to a person who fosters the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course.

Last year, Stephen launched Underrated Golf to provide equity, access and opportunity to student athletes from around the country. The tour utilizes golf as a platform to offer young, overlooked golfers special programming experiences, including an ongoing speaker series and networking events. On July 6-8, Curry hosted 96 youth golfers on the second stop of the Underrated Tour at Firestone Country Club in Akron.

Born in Akron while his father Del Curry played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, he was honored to be back in his birth city to receive the award and host his tournament. “It is special to even be at this iconic place (at) Firestone, where so much history in the game has been experienced,” Curry said. Previous Ambassador of Golf recipients include Chi Chi Rodriguez, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, President George W. Bush and Secretary Condoleezza Rice, to name a few.

In addition to the Underrated Tour, Curry is a warrior for those in need through these initiatives:

• He teamed up with Howard University to guarantee full funding of the men’s and women’s golf teams for six years, helping Howard regain its status as a Division I competitor.
• He contributes to the United Nations Foundation’s “Nothing But Nets” campaign to help combat malaria. For every three-pointer he makes, three insecticide-treated mosquito nets are donated to the campaign.
• In 2019, Curry and his wife Ayesha launched the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation in Oakland, California, to end childhood hunger, increase access to quality education and provide safe places for children to stay active.

Ambassador of Golf event proceeds benefit local charities funded through Northern Ohio Golf Charities. This video shows a few of the organizations helped by the $950,000 raised last year.