(calm music) - [Narrator] Every year the PGA Tour Championship takes place in Atlanta, Georgia.

The East Lake Golf Club has played host to the event for over a decade.

Its proud partners come together to support five local nonprofits as part of the celebration.

In 2024, people from around the city gathered to celebrate the impact.

(calm music) - [Interviewee] Yeah, so we're really excited about Tee Up ATL.

This is multiple years coming and we're here, we're back again here at the fabulous Eastern, over in East Atlanta.

And an event at this magnitude, it takes so much and there are so many different folks that are involved.

It's so many moving pieces and absolutely cannot wait for our guests to be able to experience it.

We've got a lot going on.

This is a major concert that has benefiting some great nonprofits that really do so much great work inside of the community.

And what we wanted to do was to provide kind of a moment to be able to shine a light on those nonprofits and what they do.

(calm music) - [Chad] We've talked numerous times about the magnitude of what we're doing, supremely important to the city of Atlanta.

It's important to the game of golf.

Every time I'm back there's a moment of surreal feeling, trying to wrap your head around where we are, what we're doing, the sense of urgency that we're coming into the home stretch and we want to finish strong.

Some of the historical elements that we wondered how they would fit on the ground.

It always amazes me.

They go back so perfectly, it's like they're always meant to be.

And obviously they were.

- [Narrator] The five beneficiaries are all doing critical work in their communities.

Focus Community Strategies, the Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, First Tee Metro Atlanta, and the East Lake Foundation.

Miesha Lanes has been part of the villages of East Lake community for over half of her life.

- My name is Miesha Lanes.

I grew up on like the south side of Atlanta in the Cascade area.

We were a family of seven, five siblings, all girls.

I am the fourth of the five.

My relationship, my mom and my dad back then was, I dunno, it felt more of a provider.

It was not really, it wasn't a lot of affection and I don't know if it's because of that was a part of their own journey or their own interaction with them, their own household.

But it's not that, I didn't know or feel that they loved or nor cared, but it was like they were so busy in survival mode trying to put food on the table, trying to make sure that we are in a safe environment to be raised in and reared in.

Because at first we stayed in, they used to be called Kimberly Court, which were some projects from back in the day.

And then my mom's goal was like, "I have to get my children into a house."

So I was in third grade and my parents started going through a divorce.

So soon as we got there, it's like divorce started happening.

And so that's when everything started.

Everything just started tumbling out of control.

- [Narrator] More than 50% of the middle class population of Atlanta cannot afford market rate housing.

Of these families, children outnumber their parents 2:1, 40% never own a home.

- Middle school and high school was very, very difficult for me because eventually my baby sister, she ended up getting back with my mom.

So she was with my mom in that transition, but I remained with my cousin and even though she embraced me, and even though she accepted me as her own, it's just still not a rest or a peace that you can have that you get from when being with your parents or in your own home.

Like, even though she would never question me eating anything, even though she would never question me moving about in the home, like it was my own, it's just because it wasn't my parents, I never felt like it would belong to me.

And so I always kind of moved as a stranger, even in this place that was called my home.

And so that started to play a toll on me because she herself had four kids.

So as she was a single mom, and so I was another kid and she had to take on me and she never complained.

And she did everything and she never showed no difference.

But for me, I just never, I never got to that place where I was able to be like childlike.

I just felt like I had to be mature.

Like I worried about upsetting somebody.

I worried.

I just, I became a people pleaser in that season of my life because I was so busy worried about making it or just, I don't know.

I was in survival mode and I've been in survival mode from a very young age.

(calm music) Middle school and high school for me looked very unstable.

Like even though I was excelling as a student, like I excelled so much as a student to where the school reached out to my mom.

Like, we need a conference because we're trying to understand what's happening at the home because we know it academically.

We trying to understand how she's thriving above all these other students.

Like what's the story at home?

And so I don't know, like that was hard for me.

I'm telling you it was hard and horrible.

(audience chatter) (upbeat music) - [Announcer] Now I want you to give it up for your host Ryan Cameron.

(audience cheering) - Any golfers in here?

(audience cheering) Any put putters in here?

(audience cheering) Any any top golfers in here?

(audience cheering) Golf can give you the love right back, like how the Tour Championship and its fans provide unprecedented support to these five hometown nonprofit partners.

All of them are top shelf.

Now I need y'all to pay attention to this 'cause this is what this is all about.

All right, let's give it a form.

East Lake Foundation, (audience cheering) First Tee of Metro Atlanta, (audience cheering) Focus Community Strategies, (audience cheering) Grove Park Foundation (audience cheering) and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta.

(audience cheering) Now, by showing up tonight, y'all are already supporting all these hometown organizations.

All right?

But there's a lot more ways to get involved.

We're gonna show you some these special bags right here.

Y'all know Greg Mike?

If you've seen any of the graffiti around town, Greg Mike designed all of these.

You have a chance to bid on these tonight and the proceeds go to great causes.

(audience cheering) (calm music) - I leave the villages at like 17 thinking that I'm finna go into a situation like a roommate situation.

Hi, yay.

No ever.

I end up having to live with several people because the roommate situation didn't work out, but I became like, I have always loved and took care and nurtured children even as a child.

And so that's what I spent a lot of my time doing, helping a lot of people get themselves together, taking care of a lot of children.

Like doing kids have who didn't have nobody.

Like the people who didn't have what I have, didn't have either like I tried to give that to other people's kids too, because I had my first child at 21.

So I was just out, I was just going, Well not, I don't even understand.

Like if I say I was in survivor mode, that's what I was literally doing.

That's a lot of things that's in my story that I have withheld from my children.

Not because I wanna have them in secret, but I wanna be able to give it to them when they are wise enough to understand what I'm saying.

The main focus is today, the main is eating.

The main focus is rent.

The main focus is life, so to even think about a future is like, that's even a privilege to me.

And I don't know, but I still made it though.

I'm blessed.

I don't know.

So that's a part of my journey and it may seem kind of harsh or bad, but at the same time I feel like as individuals everybody has a necessary path to bring forth their best self.

So me having everything at my fingertips could have very well been a curse for me.

It could have very well been a trout for me.

So I don't take anything for granted and I don't regret anything.

My only mindset now is to just make sure that what I lay before my children is better than what was laid before me.

- FCS, Focused Community Strategies is part of a network of nonprofits that are serving in Atlanta, in neighborhoods that are historically disinvested.

We're working to bring holistic impact to the neighborhoods we serve.

If you're a parent or a grandparent, you know what it's like to fight for the best of your child.

You want the best schools, you want the best opportunities, you want the best jobs.

We want that same thing in our community.

And it's a community that doesn't always have those things.

(calm music) - What inspired the creation of the Grove Park Foundation?

It just really building an equitable and healthy community as well as addressing social justice issues.

We focus on housing, economic development, health and wellness and education.

And we really work with our partners to create the conditions for our communities to thrive.

I don't want anyone who grows up in Grove Park to be a victim of their zip code.

That community historically has provided Atlanta with some of the best thought leaders, some of the best lawyers, doctors, educators, and I want to see that continue.

I'm grateful and I'm so honored to be a leader within that community because it's some of the most resilient people that I've met.

You know, with the community historically being redline or disinvested in.

- I first learned about the East Lake Foundation through Miss Ty and Jennifer, which are the support, the outreach team inside of the leasing office around holidays, they reach out to families and ask, "Does anybody need any assistance?

Do anybody need any help?"

Like they give Thanksgiving baskets, you could able to have your family adopted by the other families within the neighborhood.

And so that's how I claim to learn about the foundation because the supports that kinda spearhead the success of the community is kind of governed by them.

It was a little pushback because you didn't know the intentions, because you're moving into a place they're doing something different than every other place you ever lived in.

And you just didn't understand what is it that you're looking for or are you using me?

Even though you're giving you, you kind of wonder are you using me for yourself?

And it's like, it was good to know that you had people genuinely trying to support you with nothing.

Without having any ulterior motive.

I had hesitation, a lot of hesitation to where they would even ask, "Why didn't you come to this program?

Or why didn't you sign up?

Or why didn't you take advantage of this support, which we are going out here and we're advocating for you guys?"

And it was like, I kind of didn't feel comfortable.

Like even though I knew it there, I felt like everybody knew while we were in that line or I felt like everybody knew while we were at that event.

Even though it was, it was not for us just a certain demographic of people.

It was open to everybody.

But to you, I guess you know your situation so you're looking, looking through the lens of your perspective.

- I think for the East Lake Foundation we are an intersection of legacy, people, and promise.

It started with residents who lived here who wanted a change.

And then you brought in Mr. Tom Cousins, Ms. Eva Davis and Ms. Renee Glover.

Three different backgrounds, three different goals came together to create what is now become a legacy for the community.

And we are here to fulfill a promise that we made way back when to the children that they will have a community they can grow up in or come back to that will continue to thrive.

- Please welcome Ilham Askia.

(audience cheering) - What's up Atlanta?

(audience cheering) - Oh, Australia.

Wait, Australia break dancing.

You gotta do some Australia break dancing.

- You gotta do some a say.

No, no, no.

Don't you do it Ryan.

- What's going on?

- Thanks for having us.

- Oh, you having a good time?

- I'm having a great time.

First of all Ryan, like you.

I didn't hear my people 'cause I know the Villages of East Lake families are here so I wanna make sure I hear East Lake one more time.

Is East Lake in the house?

- [Ryan] East Lake.

(audience cheering) - Alright Ryan, I'm ready.

I'm ready, I'm ready.

- All the zones in here.

Zone one.

I'm sorry.

Bankhead.

I'm sorry.

West Midtown.

I'm sorry West, I'm sorry.

I forgot you were different people.

I'm from Bankhead, you're from West Midtown.

So hello everybody.

Alright so listen, I want you to tell us more about what the East Lake Foundation does.

- So the East Lake Foundation is the community quarterback on the East Lake side of the east side of Atlanta.

Our focus is holistic community revitalization.

We are 29 years old and we are responsible for the beautiful neighborhood that you all get to see now.

And for those Atlantans, ATLiens, you knew what we used to look like 30 years ago.

And so with the work of East Lake Foundation, all of our partners who are represented tonight, the tour championship, the golf club, the East Lake Golf Club, and all of Atlanta, we are community that continues to thrive and support our families.

- So what does Tee Up ATL present by Southern Company?

What does it mean for nonprofits?

- So for the nonprofits, not just the five of us here, but for all Atlanta, we all do work differently.

We're all different neighborhoods across the city.

But what it helps do with create affordable housing, quality education, economic development and wellness in our community.

So when East Lake thrives, Atlanta thrives.

- [Ryan] Is there anything else that you would like to say to the city of Atlanta?

- So you see these beautiful golf bags, Atlanta's own Greg Mike and his team designed these and we are auctioning them off.

So if you scan this QR code, you can win a bag and help support these local nonprofits.

- Are you gonna bid on it?

- Am I who?

- Are you gonna bid on the bags?

- I run a nonprofits so I don't really have that much money.

- I know it's gotta be one more thing that you wanna do for all of these people.

What we gonna do?

- It's one more thing.

So everybody get a glass.

If you have your glass have it.

If you don't, have your cell phone and put your flashlight on, Harry the hawk is gonna be, and we're gonna toast.

First of all, we could, and this is ginger ale 'cause Ryan and I are not gonna drink on the job, but I wanna raise your glasses up.

Let me tell you something.

We could not do this work in Atlanta without you.

And so this toast goes to you, like in the words of Bem Joiner, Atlanta influences everything and East Lake influences Atlanta.

Salud.

- [Ryan] Cheer.

(audience cheering) ♪ Do for love, we'll try everything.

♪ - When I first moved into the Villages, my heart was just fit with gratitude because it was an opportunity that I didn't understand how to take hold of.

I didn't know that I could actually get and achieve.

And just finally I got a letter in the mail saying your name came up on the list.

'Cause I was on a waiting list that somebody else put me on.

I didn't even put myself on it.

And so as a single mom, I had already had three kids.

I was pregnant with one and I was entering into this new phase of your own place, your own space, a safe place, a beacon of hope for my children that I dreamed of but I never knew that it could actually come to pass.

I've never lived in a community or a housing development where there were supports to actually aid the residents to become their best selves and to take hold of their best opportunities.

So moving here in the beginning was phenomenal.

It was community, it's always been community.

Our biggest challenge is getting those who are coming into the community, the new people to understand that it's bigger than apartments, it's bigger than homes, it's bigger than the restaurants.

It's about providing and curating healthy and whole families.

Starting with our children first, quality education and a quality community that garners those healthy children.

So I think that's where we are trying to get that message back at the forefront of, we are first communities, before we're individuals.

- Purpose Built Schools Atlanta was created in 2016 and it was really born out of a lot of the work that happened in the East Lake community.

In the East Lake revitalization.

We partnered with APS to operate three schools in the Carver cluster.

And really it was meant to bridge the opportunity gap that exists between schools in high income zip codes and schools in low income zip codes.

We have a situation where 40% of the families in our zip code choose other schools because they feel like our schools are unsafe.

They feel like they're low performing academically, they feel like there aren't a lot of resources.

Our work is about providing high quality instruction, having the best possible teachers in every single classroom, investing in their personal and professional growth.

It's also making sure that we have really high quality academic programming, coupled with enrichment opportunities or exposure so that we can meet the needs of all the students in our communities.

(calm music) - I had my children who were toddlers, they were daycare aged, Jennifer, she's a part of East Lake.

She reached out and was like, "Are your children in daycare?"

And I'm like, "Daycare is $265 a week for a child.

I can't."

She said, "Still reach out to the Early Learning Academy."

And so when I reached out to them, the lady said, "What can you afford?"

I say, "Really?"

She said, "Whatever you tell me you can afford, that's what we gonna make you pay a week."

So they allowed me to do it for $20 a week to put my children in the East Lake Early Learning Academy, which opened the door to Drew, which opened the door to all the opportunities that they're now standing strong in this moment.

That's when I knew that East Lake was different because they didn't just provide me with a key to a door or an address, but they also stepped into that space with me and said, "What more can we help you with?

What do you need to become your better version of yourself?"

On one end you're like, "These are my children, they're my responsibility.

I don't want anybody else to feel as though I can't provide for them."

And on the other end they were like, "But that's why we are here.

We understand life, we understand process."

And so even to this day, they still have to force me to take certain things.

They're like, "No, that's why we are getting people to bring certain things because we know that these are needs."

And I'm like, "Yeah, I understand that."

And sometimes we still have pride no matter what part of the spectrum you are on in life, we still got a little pride every now and then in certain things too.

They do credit repair, they have colleges come in and just like Georgia Perimeter colleges come in, they do Wellness Wednesday, smoothies.

They have Start Meet, which is like if you have a business opportunity or a business idea that they'll give you a mentor to help you develop it.

Even if you're at the most basic form of the idea, they help you bring it to life.

(calm music) - The First Tee Metro Atlanta's mission is to positively impact the lives of Metro Atlanta youth using the game of golf as the foundation, we're celebrating our 25th anniversary and the reason behind this program was, one, to introduce young people to this phenomenal game of golf, but also be a beacon in a community that really didn't have a lot of light.

Being able to create safe spaces for our young people to know that they can go somewhere, be heard, be listened to, be supported, all while learning a phenomenal game.

(calm music) - What I will have done differently throughout my life is waited.

I feel like I allow society, time, culture, I allowed them to push me into experiences that I weren't really ready for.

I think I would've been as childlike as possible as long as I could have been.

Something else that I would've done is I would've been more careful about myself, meaning who I give myself to.

And not just talking about in the physical point, but like who do I give my wisdom to, my knowledge?

Who do I give the best parts of me to?

Because a lot of time we lead with our best parts because we're trying to convince people that we are good or we are who we are, but ultimately everybody shouldn't have that access to you.

It took a lot of my children experiences to even teach me to guard myself.

On Monday I went to get my son's asthma medication and they literally denied him because he turned 13.

So now because he's 13, they won't even pay for his treatment.

And so I feel like the sys, I mean, I don't wanna say the system, but the city or the state has failed me because it's making me advocate for something that people are on the payroll to do anyway.

So it's like why do I have to go through all these channels and all these red tape to do what your responsibilities clearly outline?

And so that's why I also try to make sure that I'm present because not everybody has that privilege to spend that time to even understand the process.

Like why is it difficult or why is it a challenge for you to just do right or do what you know needs to be done or do what you know you would want for your own family, you know, for your own community where you live.

Why am I having to advocate for things that are laid out in a budget at the beginning of the year anyway?

Why am I having to ask you for these funds?

Like why aren't you proactively serving as you want me to proactively seek it?

- Tee Up ATL make some noise.

(audience cheering) You're doing a great job.

Give it up for me Rory.

Rory, when you were talking about the FedEx Cup in $25 million, what does that mean when you hear about that kind of prize money on the line?

- Yeah, like I think, you know, all of us that were up on that screen, we would say we're very, very lucky to be able to play for that sort of money.

Yeah, I mean I think the prestige of the title hopefully means more to everyone than the prize money.

But at the same time, I mean we know that we're playing for a lot, we're playing for a lot out there and hopefully that makes guys a little nervous and people start to tighten up.

But it's, yeah, I mean it's cool to have the opportunity to do something like that.

- You know, East Lake, I played it a couple of times, but they just went up under a huge restoration.

What are you guys expecting out there on the course because it's not the course that you're used to.

- Well, I actually never been here, so it's perfect for me.

- This is the first time in Atlanta ever, y'all.

(audience cheering) - So it's perfect for me because everybody's seeing a new golf course this week.

So it's just a new golf course for me and I was out there today.

It's amazing.

I think they've done a great job.

The course looks great and yeah.

Yeah, it's cool here.

- You've been here 12 times.

- Yeah.

- What's your favorite thing in Atlanta?

- Winning the FedEx Cup.

Won it three times.

- Wait, wait, wait.

Low key flex, winning it three times is.

- I'm trying to think.

Like we were saying backstage, I mean if I could get a ticket to the football game this weekend, that would be something really cool to do.

But yeah, I mean I think just trying some of the local restaurants sort of try and check out some of the- - We talked about that, some good food.

- Yeah, we talked about some good food, but that's really it.

Like weeks like this, we're super busy.

We're at the course all day and we don't get that much of an opportunity to see the cities that we're in.

- Alright, we're gonna play a game.

You've never been here before.

You've been here 12 times, so it's a little slanted towards Rory, but you do your best, okay Shane?

We're gonna call this 'Choose Your ATL'.

(cheerful music) Alright y'all, here we go.

It's time for 'Choose Your ATL' Rory McIlroy with Shane.

Here we go.

Alright, y'all got to help him out because he's never been here before.

Okay, y'all with me?

(audience cheering) Alright, let's go.

You just landed in Atlanta.

Where do you head first?

Chick-fil-A or Waffle House?

(audience cheering) - Waffle House.

- He says Waffle House.

(audience cheering) - I had Chick-fil-A for lunch today though.

- He said he had Chick-fil-A for lunch today.

- So Rory, what about you?

- Chick-fil-A.

- Chick-fil-A.

- Sorry, sorry, sorry.

- Settle down.

Settle down.

Alright, you've got a day off with the family, Rory, what's the move Zoo Atlanta or the Georgia Aquarium?

(audience cheering) - Aquarium.

Yeah, the aquarium.

My daughter likes the aquarium.

We'll go Georgia Aquarium.

- The aquarium, aquarium?

(audience cheering) - The zoo or the aquarium Shane?

- The zoo.

- He's going with the zoo.

Alright, for this next question, you can only lose one and you gotta keep the other.

What has to go?

Atlanta traffic or Atlanta humidity.

(audience cheering) - I'm Irish.

The humidity.

- He said he's Irish, he said the humidity.

- No, definitely the traffic.

- Traffic all day.

- Traffic.

- I can sit in traffic and listen to 2 Chainz.

- Sit in traffic and listen to 2 Chainz.

You killing it.

You're killing it up here.

Alright, this is it right here.

This is gonna divide the room.

Settle this long time debate.

When it comes to wings, is it drums or flats?

(audience cheering) - [Shane] Drums.

- Flats.

Flats.

Definitely flats.

- Rory says all my flat people make some noise.

(audience cheering) Me and Shane are with the drums.

(audience cheering) Alright, what are you listening to before the final round at the tour championship.

Is it Ludacris or Luke Bryan?

(audience cheering) - 2 Chainz.

- 2 Chainz.

(audience cheering) Y'all did good on that.

- We practiced out on backstage.

- Y'all make some noise for him.

(audience cheering) Alright.

Unfortunately you cannot move here because we full.

Are we full y'all?

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

But we got the next best thing.

We're gonna make you both honorary ATLiens.

So give it up for the Tomahawk Girls from Atlanta Braves.

(upbeat music) (audience cheering) - Through the East Lake Foundation creating an outreach thing.

I feel like it's beginning to bring the community back together, but I'm also able to say that because of the cost of living, everybody is so focused on maintaining their lifestyles that they don't have time.

We used to be very tight knit at the parks, families here at the playground, but now everybody is in grind mode, head down, grinding.

I think there's been several success stories like from the Start Meet program, people have been able to start businesses, but the success stories had to leave because once you got to a certain level of success, so for instance, they have subsidized living here, they have tax credit and they also have market rate.

So once you get a certain level of success, if you can't afford a home in the area, your success have to leave.

And so because the market rate, you're like, "That's a mortgage, I can pay that for a house."

So even though the goal is to get you better than what you were when you came, you also wanna make sure that they are being positioned to contribute and give in the spaces that they were able to come from.

So now we have like the thing happening with Atlanta Land Trust, where they're building affordable town homes where the villages get priority and so they're trying to make sure there are options.

- The strength of SCS is, where we've been in our current neighborhood for 25 years.

We've got 25 years of showing incremental growth in neighborhood and strengthening of neighbors on blocks.

I've got about half my staff that live in the neighborhood.

There's times where we're wearing the cap of just being neighbor, helping neighbor knowing who's on our block.

There's other times then when we're operating as FCS, where we may be doing surveys in the community so that we're collecting good data that helps us show long-term impact over time.

- We built the Columbia Canopy in partnership with Columbia Residential.

It was 110 units of affordable housing.

We were able to bring hope to families who needed to secure safe, not just housing, but a community.

When the value of land is increasing, you just see seniors are not giving up.

You see our young adults really rallying to help people that may not have the resources or the support.

- Miss Ty reached out, she thought, "Let's try to get residents a part of this process and not just have organizations or other companies come in and just gauge our neighbors, let our neighbors talk to each other, let our neighbors gather the intel, let our neighbors communicate, let our neighbors walk."

So we did a parceling.

We went and seen every building in our community, whether it was standing, whether it need to be demolished, whether it was a home.

So we did a lot of footwork before we even did the survey.

Even just to gauge whether or not the structures were reliable and safe.

Through this, I think I've gained a sense of identity because it not only defined the community for us, but we are also in the process of defining it ourselves.

Like we are defining who do we want to be known as?

What is our culture like, what is it that we wanna cultivate and we are a part of that process.

I feel like my life has changed.

And even my children's, they're like, "Mama, why are you always somewhere now?"

Like our friends always saying they seeing you this place and that place.

But I feel like it kinda awakened me.

'Cause at first I had got any kind of a, I had got in just emotions of being a mother, just trying to give to my children, all of me.

And I feel like now working with the foundation now has given me something even outside of my children.

Like something I could see myself doing after they go off to college.

After they started to hang with their friends a little more in their own in isolation.

So I feel like it's awakening me.

It's giving me a drive.

It's just ignited the fire in me that I had before.

But I consciously set aside for my children.

- The East Lake Foundation serves everyone in the East Lake community primarily our heart and soul is the 650 families residing in the Villages of East Lake and the children who attend Drew Charter School.

Our organization has grown tremendously.

We are celebrating our 29th year.

We've been able to take our four focus pillars, mixed income housing, community wellness, cradle to college education and economic vitality and expand them.

To do this transformative work you can't do it in a silo.

There's an African proverb that says "It takes a village to raise a child."

Well it takes a collective group of committed partners that are aligned to do this transformative work in the neighborhood.

On the ground every single day.

There's the YMCA, there's Drew Charter School, our early learning center, sheltering Arms in the East Lake Early Learning Academy.

Golf has financially supported the initiatives that the East Lake Foundation has spearheaded over the last three decades.

(calm music) - I think we are getting back to a healthy place.

I feel like Covid kind of set us back several, several steps, but I feel like we're beginning to settle back in.

And then with Illy now as our CEO, she has been very intentional about being present.

She's been very intentional about continuously moving us forward.

So much so, so that she even hosts conversations with the CEO, which is something that I've never been able to experience.

So she doesn't just operate from her office, but she also comes into and invites us into spaces where we as residents can come and tell her the good and the bad.

- We are always looking to partner with organizations to really provide our students with an expanded worldview.

We have partnerships with organizations that do music, robotics, chess.

It's really about providing students with that exposure to compliment what we're doing in the school building.

So if somebody decides, "I want to work in the film industry," they've had opportunity to do some of that work while in high school.

We operate three schools.

We operate an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school.

And for the first time our schools are no longer on the Georgia 'needs improvement' list.

We've been able to improve the conditions in our school, improve academic outcomes, and we're well on our way to thriving.

- Since doing this work, this is my first time actually meeting the different branches of the organization and the different people who are actually making it function and run so well.

So it has definitely evolved.

I definitely see the work of what the foundation does.

I see it, I hear it and I appreciate it.

The best part of my life right now is the growth, like the mental growth that I have and the emotional growth that I have been able to walk into because of the supports, my children go to Drew.

And so it's times where I could even rely on the parents there to pickup and drop off for practice.

It's like, so the growth that I've been able to love on myself through, because I had those around me supporting not only me, but supporting the children that I was nurturing.

My kids are phenomenal.

I could see me in each and every last one of them.

They are different parts of me and they're my why.

They're my why to where I won't settle.

I won't allow myself to become content in any season of life.

Though grateful and though thankful.

What makes me the most proud is my children's independence.

I love that they understand and know how to take opportunities themselves.

Like a lot of times they come to me and tell me what date and what time to be somewhere.

And I'm like, "Okay, so now I'm your manager.

Okay, I understand it," but it's like, it's beautiful because I can't keep my eyes on everything and they are able to identify with those things and take hold of them.

So that's the thing that I'm loving about that.

- Our organization serves any young person between the ages of seven to 18 here in metro Atlanta.

We don't limit participation based on socioeconomics, gender, race, anything like that.

We're definitely open for all young people in the Metro Atlanta area.

The beautiful thing about our program is our coaches and volunteers, we literally could not do anything without them.

They're the ones that are teaching the classes Tuesday through Saturday.

As they're giving their time, our young people are able to create this community of people outside of their family.

On the surface people think it's golf.

So if you're not familiar with golf, you're thinking that's not a program for me.

In reality, golf is just the foundation, it's just the hook.

Like we have a place for everyone.

We often say that a lot of kids don't look at golf as like that cool thing to do, right?

So we expose them to what the game can offer.

And what we recognize is there is no sport that mirrors life more than golf.

So we expose our kids to this game to teach them the life skills they need to be successful.

(upbeat music) - Are you ready?

I can't hear you.

(audience cheering) Coming to the stage right now.

College Park's finest.

You know him, you love him.

They call him Tony.

Some call him another name.

They call him what?

(audience cheering) Coming to the stage to play a partner.

Make some noise for 2 Chainz.

(audience cheering) - ATL, make some noise.

(audience cheering) If you love golf, say hell yeah.

- [Audience] Hell yeah.

- If you come to have a good time, say hell yeah.

- [Audience] Hell yeah.

- Let's go sir.

All right, turn the music up in the monitors for me.

♪ If one more label try to stop me ♪ ♪ It's gon' be some dreadhead -- in ya lobby, huh huh ♪ ♪ Come on.

You don't want no ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You old Petey Pablo, take your shirt off ♪ ♪ Wave 'round your head like a helicopter ♪ ♪ I ain't put enough weed in the blunt ♪ ♪ All you do is smoke tobacco ♪ ♪ Where the hell you get them from?

♪ ♪ Yeezy said he ain't make them ♪ ♪ My partner chasing' bounty hunters ♪ ♪ And getting' chased by their baby mamas ♪ ♪ My first tat was on my stomach ♪ ♪ Got a pocket full of money ♪ ♪ And a mind full of ideas ♪ ♪ Some of this -- may sound weird ♪ ♪ Inside of the Maybach ♪ ♪ Look like it came out of Ikea ♪ ♪ Run -- like diarrhea ♪ ♪ Big yacht, no power steering ♪ ♪ Aye, aye, captain ♪ ♪ I'm high, captain ♪ ♪ I'm so high ♪ ♪ This is my blessing ♪ ♪ This is my passion ♪ ♪ School of hard knocks ♪ ♪ 1, 2, 3.

Come on ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ Just another day, had to pick up all the mail ♪ ♪ There go Chano riding' through the streets, they be like ♪ ♪ "There he go" ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me ♪ ♪ You don't want no problem, want no problem with me.

True ♪ (audience cheering) - As an African American child coming up in an African American family with several siblings and being a latchkey kid, you are kind of forced to think as an adult.

And so my 13-year-old self wasn't like the one who probably was a cheerleader or the one who was with the nana.

My 13-year-old self was like, "What am I eating?"

My 13-year-old self was worrying about the project by myself.

My 13-year-old self was worrying about how to identify dangers, you know?

So I would tell my 13-year-old self, "You have a time, you have a moment.

So get whatever you need to get at 13 that's gonna be needed in your thirties."

Each season is leaving you something to carry on, you know, to your next stage.

So to my 13-year-old self, I'll just say "Be still and know he God."

Like just be still.

- My future vision for Grove Park is that all of our residents have the access, awareness, and exposure for what they need to be great.

I want equity and I want a place where everyone could thrive.

And so that's my vision for the future.

- As the East Lake Golf Club says it's golf with a purpose.

The purpose is to help families and support families who have historically been denied access so that everything is equitable and fair and they can thrive.

- When you think about the Tour Championship and the platform that that gives us to really tell our story, that's not something we could do on our own.

So having all of those partners come together to help us in their own special way helps us help the community in our own special way.

- My vision for Purpose Built Schools is that in three to five years from now, we will be in the top third ranking wise.

And I say that with confidence.

- When we picture the future, we picture a neighborhood that is racially equitable, socioeconomically equitable, full of opportunity.

A place where we can all flourish together.

(calm music) - Having a moment, a night to celebrate the work, community work community and place-based work in Atlanta, it really shows a community coming together.

- It's for a good cause.

So it's not just for fun, it's like actually helping people.

So it's good.

- Combination of hip hop and golf and sort of old school, new school together.

We've got access to like you got get done amazing things in both sports and entertainment.

Ya know, it's a good vibe.

♪ It's your birthday, clap ♪ ♪ It's your birthday, clap ♪ (audience sings along) ♪ Say what, you in first place ♪ ♪ Say what, you in first place ♪ (audience sings along) - Thank you.

Thank you.

That's my time.

I appreciate y'all.

(audience cheering) 2 Chainz.

Thank you.

Yeah.

- [DJ] Y'all give it up one more time for 2 Chainz please.

(audience cheering) We appreciate the hell outta each and every one of y'all.

- My favorite part about living at the Villages is the opportunities.

And when I say opportunities, I'm talking about the conversations, to be able to be a voice in the room and your voice is appreciated and is welcome.

I feel like that's just the beauty of this community.

I don't know if that happens in other communities, but to be asked, to be acknowledged.

So I think that's the most beautiful part.

I'm glad that I'm not in a place just existing and that's the part that I'm most grateful for.

(inspirational music) (inspirational music continues) (inspirational music continues) (inspirational music continues) (inspirational music continues) (inspirational music continues)