CVS Health Charity Classic golf tournament ends after 23 years

THE ANNUAL CVS HEALTH Charity Classic will no longer be held as CVS says it is moving away from the the annual golf event that has taken place at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington since 1999. PBN FILE PHOTO
THE ANNUAL CVS HEALTH Charity Classic will no longer be held as CVS says it is moving away from the the annual golf event that has taken place at Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington since 1999. PBN FILE PHOTO

PROVIDENCE – One of the area’s largest charitable events has played its final round. 

CVS Health Corp. is ending its annual CVS Health Charity Classic golf tournament, an event that has drawn thousands of people to the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington to watch top-notch pro and celebrity golfers while raising $25 million for Rhode Island charities since 1999. 

CVS also confirmed it will not hold its annual Crave Food Festival in downtown Providence.

The 2020 golf event was canceled due to COVID-19, although a virtual event was held and raised $1.5 million. The 2021 event was also canceled. 

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Woonsocket-based CVS is now transitioning its charitable efforts through its CVS Health Foundation Hometown Fund going forward, said Mike DeAngelis, senior director of CVS corporate communications. 

“While we had to move away from in-person events such as the Charity Classic golf tournament during the last two years, we continued to support organizations that are helping children and families access health care, education and social services, and are proud to have donated more than $3 million through the Charity Classic during this time,” DeAngelis said. “Through this experience, we adopted new ways of focusing our resources on charitable programs to help support our communities and continue to drive social impact. We’re excited to introduce the CVS Health Foundation Hometown Fund to carry this mission into the future.”

The CVS Health Charity Classic was created in 1999 with the support of former CVS chief executive Thomas M. Ryan, who retired in 2011 and was replaced by Larry Merlo. When Merlo retired in February, veteran insurance executive Karen S. Lynch was appointed the new CEO and president 

“As we transition our focus from the Charity Classic to the CVS Foundation Hometown Fund, we thank our co-hosts, Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade, our colleagues and our non-profit partners for their partnership and shared commitment to our local communities, DeAngelis said. 

The tournament was last held in 2019. Keegan BradleyBrooke Henderson and Andrade teamed up to win their third-straight crown, while the event raised $1 million dollars. 

The Crave Food Festival was first held in 2017 at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence coinciding with the charity golf classic. The event also took place in 2018 and 2019 and featured samples from 100 of Rhode Island’s finest restaurants, with all proceeds going to charity. 

 

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