NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KPMG LLP, the U.S. Audit, Tax and Advisory firm, today announced that it has renewed the sponsorship of 5-time Major golf champion Phil Mickelson. The global sponsorship, which originally began in 2008, will keep Mickelson in a KPMG branded hat on the PGA Tour through 2016. In addition, KPMG and Mickelson will expand their joint efforts to combat youth illiteracy through KPMG's Family for Literacy and "Blue for Books" initiatives.
"Having grown to know Phil over the last six years, he's just a tremendous person both on and off the course," said John Veihmeyer, Chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP. "He shares in our commitment to putting books in the hands of America's youth, which is the single biggest obstacle to literacy for children. We are so proud of the strides we have made together and we couldn't be more pleased to continue this relationship."
KPMG's Family for Literacy (KFFL) teamed with Mickelson to create KPMG's "Blue for Books" program in March 2012. The program encourages golf fans to purchase Mickelson's authentic blue KPMG Tour hat at PhilsBlueHat.com. KPMG donates 100% of the net proceeds to First Book, which provides three new books to children in need for each hat sold. Through the combined efforts of the Blue for Books program, more than 120,000 books have been donated to date.
The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines marks the first 2014 PGA Tour tournament where Phil's Blue Hat will be available on-site at the golf course for fans to purchase. Other planned tournaments are the Waste Management Phoenix Open and The Barclays in Ridgewood, NJ.
In June 2013, KPMG extended the program onto the LPGA Tour with KPMG brand ambassador Stacy Lewis. In addition, KPMG will continue to donate 5,000 books to a local school and refurbish its library every time Mickelson or Lewis wins a tournament.
Mickelson adds, "I am very proud of the relationship I've shared with KPMG over the last six years and really excited about renewing it now. Improving education opportunities is a top priority for Amy and me, so it's been an honor to be a part of KPMG's Family for Literacy program. Every time I see so many blue hats in the galleries on Tour I know we're accomplishing something important, and now we have the chance to continue that work."
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm (www.kpmg.com/us), is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG International's member firms have 155,000 professionals, including more than 8,600 partners, in 155 countries.
About KPMG's Family for Literacy (KFFL)
In 2008, KPMG stepped up to combat youth illiteracy by forming KPMG's Family for Literacy (KFFL) program. Since its creation, KFFL has worked with the non-profit First Book to contribute more than 2 million new books to schools and children in low-income neighborhoods across America.
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit us online or follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.