The Pokagon Band And Its Four Winds Casinos Announce Dates for the 2024 Four Winds Invitational

13^thAnnual Tournament will be held at South Bend Country Club, August 30 – September 1

 150 Volunteers are needed for all three days of the tournament

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – May 30, 2024 – The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos are pleased to announce that the 2024 Four Winds Invitational will be held at South Bend Country Club from Friday, August 30 through Sunday, September 1.  This year’s Four Winds Invitational will offer a $200,000 purse for the players and the proceeds from the tournament will be donated to Beacon Children’s Hospital.  The tournament is also seeking 150 volunteers for morning, afternoon, and evening shifts of all three days of the tournament.  The Four Winds Invitational is part of the Epson Tour schedule, which entered its 44^th year of structured competition in 2024 and is the most established women’s qualifying tour in the world as the one “Road to the LPGA.”

“The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and our Four Winds Casinos are very excited to announce the dates for the 13^th edition of the Four Winds Invitational,” said Rebecca Richards, Tribal Council Chairwoman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.  “Over the last 12 years, we’ve donated nearly $1 Million to Beacon Children’s Hospital using proceeds from the tournament and we couldn’t be more proud that these funds have been used to acquire life-saving equipment to better serve patients and families in the South Bend community.  A cumulative donation of this size would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and donors.  We look forward to working again with the LPGA’s Epson Tour, South Bend Country Club, and its members, along with numerous volunteers and vendors to welcome the players and make the 2024 Four Winds Invitational our best tournament yet.”

Mary Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casinos added, “We are proud to once again partner with the LPGA’s Epson Tour to shine a spotlight on the city of South Bend during Labor Day weekend.  The award-winning South Bend Country Club offers a challenging course for the players and our newly expanded casino resort, Four Winds South Bend, offers luxury accommodations, world-class entertainment, and fine dining, as well as unmatched event space.  We look forward to welcoming guests during tournament week.”

Greg Helmkamp, General Manager and Head Golf Professional of South Bend Country Club added, “We are very honored to once again be selected by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and its Four Winds Casinos to host the 2024 Four Winds Invitational.  As we get set to host the tournament for our fourth time, we would like to thank all of the past volunteers from the previous three years and hope to see everyone back out again this year.  With the event being held over Labor Day weekend we are going to need even more volunteers than in years past.”

Volunteers are needed to fill a variety of roles including assisting with scoring duties and serving as building attendants, caddies, cart drivers, driving range attendants, food and beverage servers, marshals and spotters, parking attendants, standard bearers, shuttle drivers, and more.

All selected volunteers must be at least 16 years of age prior to August 19, 2024, and will receive a Four Winds Invitational polo shirt, hat, and a $25 Four Winds Casinos gift card for their services (9+ hours of service are required).  Two meals and beverages will also be provided to volunteers on each day of service.  Volunteers are required to pay a $25 fee prior to August 19.  As an additional option, volunteers can pay an $85 volunteer fee instead of $25 and receive a single round of golf to South Bend Country Club including a cart, along with their polo shirt, hat, and $25 Four Winds Casinos gift card.

For more information and to complete the volunteer application, please visit  http://fourwindsinvitational.com/volunteer/.

For questions regarding volunteer opportunities, please contact Steve Infalt, Four Winds Invitational Volunteer Coordinator at fwivolunteer@southbendcc.com.
About the Four Winds Invitational
The Four Winds® Invitational was established in 2012 as part of the Road to the LPGA® and is sponsored by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos.  The tournament features a field of professional women golfers from around the world.  More information is available at:  http://fourwindsinvitational.com/.

About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians of Michigan and Indiana
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi’s sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994.  The Pokagon Band is dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care, and cultural preservation for its more than 6,000 citizens.  The Pokagon Band’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana.  Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich., with a satellite office in South Bend, Ind.  In 2007, it opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Mich., followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011, Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in January 2018.  The Pokagon Band operates a variety of non-gaming businesses through its investment enterprises, Mno-Bmadsen and the Pokagon Development Authority.  More information is available at www.pokagonband-nsn.gov, www.fourwindscasino.com and www.mno-bmadsen.com.

About the Epson Tour
The Epson Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 44^th competitive season in 2024. With the support of entitlement partner Seiko Epson Corporation, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best female professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour.  In the last decade, the Epson Tour has grown from 15 tournaments and $1.6 million in prize money to $5 million awarded across 20 events in 2024. With more than 600 graduates and alumnae moving on to the LPGA Tour, former Epson Tour players have won 480 LPGA titles.

Follow the Epson Tour at www.epsontour.com, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Media Contact:
David Gutierrez, for the Pokagon Band and its Four Winds Casinos, (312) 780-7204, dgutierrez@dresnerco.com