$601,000 is a lot of money. And while it has nothing to do with our sales or profit at Algood, it has everything to do with our bottom line. You see, if the only purpose in making money is to increase the value of a company or the wealth of its owners, we’ve missed the point. That’s why my brother and I, following in the footsteps of our father, just helped to raise $601,000 in support of special education programs for children in our community.

Over 25 years ago, my father became a supporter of educational programs for kids with special needs. It’s a cause that was very dear to my father and although none of his kids required any related services, he worked tirelessly and personally raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. When he died 19 years ago, we founded an annual golf tournament in his memory to make sure that his legacy of support lives on. While the tournament has grown and been transformed, the winner’s cup is still lovingly named in memory of my parents Max and Sheila.

There are hundreds of children in the community who learn differently than most other kids and they require additional resources, materials and expertise. It would cost individual schools hundreds of thousands of dollars to meet the needs of these children. The reality is that, on their own, the schools simply couldn’t meet that challenge and scores of children would be denied the future that education brings. It’s only with additional financial resources that these children will reach their goals and achieve success.

It’s tough to raise the money but we have done it to give back to the community and to invest in its children. Over the years the tournament has raised millions of dollars. And this year, we are so proud to have surpassed the amount raised in any previous year.

In addition to this initiative, Algood supports a whole range of causes including hospitals, healthcare organizations and schools.

For us at Algood, success isn’t just measured in profits. That’s because we’re not a corporate subdivision and our deep family values remind us that it’s what you do with profits that defines you. When you use your success to make a difference in the world, you add to a much more powerful bottom line.

Pictured above is (l to r) my brother Sean, tournament co-chairs Ron and Perry Steiner and me.