Creating a Carbon-Neutral Event
In 2022, the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by TD SYNNEX sought to become a carbon-neutral event through a tree giveaway program sponsored by IAC Group, Rabble Wine Co., and Milliken in partnership with TreesUpstate. The program included four community events and distributed 2,080 trees to residents across the Upstate.
The initiative gave attendees and community members a chance to take climate action home by planting trees on their own properties. While the giveaway was part of the event’s effort to reduce and offset its environmental impact, the trees’ benefits extend far beyond the tournament itself. As the trees grow, they can provide shade, improve air quality, manage stormwater, store carbon, and create long-term benefits for the communities where they are planted.
The partnership also demonstrated how businesses, nonprofits, and community events can work together to turn a sustainability goal into tangible action. Rather than simply talking about environmental impact, the program put trees directly into the hands of people who could plant and care for them for years.
