What drives Lexus, other businesses to get on board JDC?

If you’ve ever wondered why Quad Cities businesses make such significant investments every year in the John Deere Classic, Todd Hopkins, general manager of Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities, has the answer. More than one of them, in fact. For him, the tournament and its Birdies for Charity program make such a huge impact […]

If you’ve ever wondered why Quad Cities businesses make such significant investments every year in the John Deere Classic, Todd Hopkins, general manager of Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities, has the answer. More than one of them, in fact. For him, the tournament and its Birdies for Charity program make such a huge impact on the community and on the efforts of some 480 nonprofit organizations that it’s worth every bit of the luxury car-makers’ significant monetary and time commitment to help make it happen. As Mr. Hopkins told the QCBJ as he headed out to volunteer during the 2023 JDC week – which ended Sunday, July 9 – he loves being the car giveaway sponsor for the Birdies program. That’s because the real winners of the annual fundraiser are the region’s charities “that win with every donation that comes into Birdies for Charity.” And unlike most other charitable donations, funds raised by the public through Birdies are sweetened by contributions from JDC Title Sponsor Deere & Co. It’s the only charity, he said, that gives back more than 100% of the money raised to the organizations it supports because John Deere covers all administration fees and matches donations up to $250,000.  Participating at JDC also allows his company to send a powerful message to “everybody who wants to give back to the community and make the community stronger,” Mr. Hopkins said. “A stronger community makes every business thrive.”  In addition, by “going through the Birdies for Charity bonus fund and donating money to that, it’s a way for you to give to 480 organizations with one donation,” he said. Then there is the value of the Deere brand. “You can’t get a better sponsor to be tied into than John Deere,” Mr. Hopkins added. “They’re great corporate citizens. They do a lot in the community and any time you can partner with John Deere you’re going to end up coming out ahead.” JDC leaders also appreciate the annual commitment Lexus makes to the event, including donating a two-year lease on a top-of-the-line Lexus vehicle for a Birdies winner. It’s valued at about $16,000. “They’ve been doing that for us for a number of years now and it’s really a great incentive for donors,” Micaela Booth, Birdies for Charity executive director, said in the days before the 2023 tournament. 

JDC tournament director Andrew Lehman added, “The free two-year lease contest for the 2023 Lexus NX250 provides a tremendous incentive for people to donate. And we know the pros love driving a Lexus during tournament week.” For his part, Mr. Hopkins sees JDC and Birdies as communitywide success stories. “I’m honored to be just a small portion of a great group effort from everybody, from all the volunteers, you look at 2,000 volunteers that are on the course. They’re the real heroes in my mind. They do a ton for the community. They do a ton to help the Birdies for Charity program and help us raise money and put on a world class golf tournament.” Mr. Hopkins’ dealership and Lexus have sponsored the JDC and been involved with the Birdies for Charity for about 15 years, the past 10 as vehicle sponsor. This year alone, in addition to providing the $16,000 two-year Lexus lease, the Davenport dealership once again loaned a large fleet of brand-new vehicles to the cause. That represents a significant overall investment. In 2023, that included the leased car (Birdies prize), 180 cars for tournament use and a dozen other vehicles on display during the JDC, he told the QCBJ during the JDC’s final days.  “There was a little over $10 million in inventory, so that’s a pretty good commitment by Lexus,” he said. In addition, the donation benefits car buyers since Lexus offers discounts on JDC-used cars despite the lingering tight car inventories, which are a hangover from the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s still a challenge that many cars are out of circulation where right now the average dealer has a six-day supply of cars,” Mr. Hopkins said. “You look at the 180 cars we’ve had out here for a week. In a typical area they will have all been sold, anything that we’ve had here Sunday would have been sold by Saturday,” he said. “And for (Lexus) to have taken them off the market, they understand the value of what the John Deere Classic does for the community as well.” The tournament also represents a significant commitment by Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities that begins once corporate sends the  JDC vehicles to Mr. Hopkin’s Davenport dealership. “We start getting them in mid- to the end of May and we have to get them prepped, cleaned, gassed up and ready to go,” he said. Then when the tournament is over, Smart Lexus keeps about 25 for its customers. The remainder are shipped to other dealers beginning the Wednesday after the JDC closes – all headed to Midwest destinations such as Minnesota, Chicago and Kansas City, he said. Before that can happen, however, Smart Lexus will have to clean them up and make them ready for often-impatient new owners. Not every Quad Cities JDC Lexus owner wants the dealership to wipe out all evidence that they were part of the tournament’s fleet. In fact, sometimes their use at the JDC is a selling point. One customer, for example, was thrilled to buy the Lexus that had been driven by JDC hometown hero and Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson of nearby Cedar Rapids. Another asked Mr. Hopkins to hold off removing signs that identified their ride as a part of the JDC.  If all has gone as expected at press time, the only remaining 2023 JDC loaned vehicle still unaccounted for is the Lexus NX250, which the carmaker will provide for the lucky JDC Birdies Charity winner who both guessed the correct number of birdies in the year’s tournament and wins a lottery of sorts.  (In the event no one guesses the correct amount of birdies, the grand prize goes to the next closest guess  – either above or below the exact number of birdies made during the tournament.) This year, according to Birdies for Charity, 1,929 birdies were recorded by PGA TOUR pros during the tournament. Multiple donors got it right and earned a chance to compete to win the car but it will be a few months before they can get it. Traditionally, that well-attended car giveaway isn’t held until October when Deere & Co. and the JDC officially announce how much Birdies for Charity will donate to the nonprofits who participated this year. No matter who walks away with the new Lexus each October, Mr. Hopkins said that event is always “a fun experience” with “a bit of excitement” because all the winners are given a key but only one actually will start the car.