Spokane, WA (August 24, 2010)- The addition of a new event and an additional golf tournament helped make the 11th annual Zak!Charity Open one of the most successful in tournament history. The three-day event that wrapped up on July 26, raised more than $400,000 to benefit the Rypien Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County.

2010 Sponsor Brochure Now Available!

Zak! Charity Open Adds Poker Tournament to Event

One of the Inland Northwest's premier charity events just got more exciting. Organizers have announced that starting in 2010, the Zak!Charity Open will have more ways for people to get involved thanks to the additional of its newest event - the "Beat the Pros" Poker Tournament presented by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

Brothers from Different Mothers to Entertain Patrons at 2010 Summer Celebration

Each year, the Zak!Charity Open lines up some of the best acts to entertain and inspire you at the Summer Celebration. This year will be no exception as the internationally recognized comedic duo, Brothers from Different Mothers takes the stage at Northern Quest on July 25th.

Zak!Charity Open Welcomes Boys & Girls Club

The Zak!Charity Open was established as a way for people across the Inland Northwest to come together and help raise money and awareness for charities that help improve the lives of local children.

Flying the Flags of Hope

Sometimes the best medicine for a child stuck in the hospital is just a breath of fresh air. Thanks to the Rypien Foundation, the Zak!Charity Open, and several other individuals and organizations, vision for the Open Air Terrace on the 3rd floor pediatric oncology unit has now become a reality.

New Sacred Heart Cinema Opens

This February, cancer patients at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital got the red carpet treatment without ever having to leave the hospital.

Zak!Charity Open Welcomes Boys & Girls Club

The Zak!Charity Open was established as a way for people across the Inland Northwest to come together and help raise money and awareness for charities that help improve the lives of local children. In the past, proceeds from this event have benefited such worthy organizations as Children’s Miracle Network, YWCA Child and Youth Services, and the Rypien Foundation. In 2010, another organization with a proven track record of changing the lives of underprivileged children will join that list.

We are proud to announce that proceeds from the 2010 event will benefit the Rypien Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County.

“This is an outstanding organization that has a real impact on the youth in this area,” said Mark Rypien, Founder of the Rypien Foundation. “The people who are involved with Boys & Girls Clubs are helping shape the future leaders of this community and this country, and we should all do whatever we can to help support that cause.”

Throughout the country Boys & Girls Clubs work to create academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles in children and teens. In Spokane County, this goal is accomplished at two separate campuses in Libby and Northtown – with another scheduled to open in Mead in March 2010. These clubhouses provide a safe place for kids to gather after school and get help with their school work, play a game of basketball with their friends, or discover a hidden artistic talent within themselves. Through programs like these and many others, Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County is giving hope to young people in Spokane and helping to show them a future that’s brighter than any they could have imagined.

“We’re very proud of what we have accomplished in this community, but there’s so much more that needs to be done for the youth in Spokane County,” said Ryan Davenport, Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County. “By being involved with an event like the Zak!Charity Open, it will really help raise the kind of awareness and resources we need to continue to create positive places for kids in this area. We couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity.”

In the 10 years that the Zak!Charity Open has been active, it’s helped raise more than $2 million for the children in the Inland Northwest. In addition to the Boys & Girls Club of Spokane County, proceeds from the 2010 event will also benefit the Rypien Foundation which helps local families with children who are battling cancer.

“It’s hard to imagine what would happen without these two organizations in our community,” said Irv Zakheim, Founder and Chairman of the Zak!Charity Open . “They give these children more than just a safe place to stay when they’re in trouble and a friendly smile when they’re in pain. They give these children hope. The least we can do is help make sure they have plenty of it to hand out.”