Registration is now open for the third annual charity golf tournament for Phish fans - the Mockingbird Foundation's Runaway Open. This year's event will be held Saturday, September 1st (the 2nd day of Phish's run at Dick's Sporting Goods in Denver, CO) at Applewood Golf Course, with a full-course shotgun start at 10 a.m.

Last year's event (9/2/17 at Buffalo Run) had more than double the players of the inaugural event (10/30/16 at Arroyo Golf Club in Vegas), and we're anticipating a doubling again, particularly with the communal vibe of a shotgun start. So, please, spread word widely and quickly, through all channels. We want to fill it up and meet players' needs (rentals, veggie, etc.) ASAP; but once it's full, we can't expand.

As before, we'll play a Modified Shamble : Everyone tees, then plays individually from the best first ball to the hole (rather than the best ball on each stroke, as in a typical Shamble, aka Texas Scramble or Captain's Choice). Then, each foursome records the best 2 scores per hole. That balances competitive play with a fun-focused day. But don't fret about format, skill, or handicap - this is all about fun, charity, Sand, Wedge... you get it.

To register, make a donation of $125 per player to the Mockingbird Foundation via Paypal or Dwolla. That covers tournament fees, cart fees, greens fees, practice balls, some pro shop credit, some refreshments TBA, a nominal charitable margin to support music education grants, and a small gift bag of thanks with limited edition event items available only to registered players. (The first year was a hat. The second year, 2 golf towels and 3 balls. What'll be next...

The Fifth Annual Runaway Open (5RO) will be a single-round, 18-hole, virtual tournament played at your leisure over Labor Day weekend (Friday the 4th through Monday the 7th), at the course of your choosing, from over 35,000 listed worldwide.

We want to keep alive our tradition of a charity golf tournament for Phish fans over Labor Day weekend, enjoying golf and remembering the cause of music education for children, while still keeping everyone safe. So, while the offering comes at the 11th hour, we trust that some of you are planning to hit some balls this weekend, anyway. You might as well make it communal, and join in the weekend full of remembering Dick's gone by and celebrating the interests that we continue to share.

Registration is free, and participation is donation-suggested since you will be responsible for your greens and cart fees. (And we're obviously not serving coffee, lunch, or beverages this year, though encourage you to employ all three.)  We also won't have sponsors or contests this year. However, participants who donate $50 or more (per player, if in a group) as part of their registration will be sent a gift bag of limited-edition commemorative items branded with the Runaway Open logo and only available to those who register and donate prior to midnight on Tuesday the 8th, including a performance-quality comfort-fit visor, a two-ply (comfort cotton inside, resistant poly outside) face mask, and a sleeve of Calloway Warbird 2.0 golf balls.

The all-volunteer Mockingbird Foundation is proud to commemorate 25 years of providing music education to America’s young people by presenting The Mockingbird Sessions, a three-day celebration of music, education, and community.  This free event streaming – on Fans.live, June 4, 5, & 6 – will bring together a diverse group of musicians, educators, and foundations to promote music education throughout America.

Thanks to the efforts of dozens of people and multiple studios across the U.S., Mockingbird Sessions includes artists such as Marco Benevento, Joe Russo, and Christian McBride in a once-in-a-lifetime quartet with harpist Mikalea Davis; The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio; The Yonder Mountain String Trio; Paul Hoffman (from Greensky Bluegrass); and many others in unique pairings and groups that were curated specifically for this event.

Masterclasses will also be presented, showcasing the artistic philosophies of various artists and instruments, like the bass panel featuring Reed Mathis, Karina Rykman, and Chris Wood and hosted by Dr. Stephanie Jenkins (noted host of the Phish Studies Conference in 2019).  Testimonials by grantees will be sporadically shared during the weekend as well, and a limited edition print from artist Cory Rowe will be available for purchase.

The Mockingbird Foundation is an all-volunteer, fan-founded and -managed 501c3 supporting music education for children. It has been operated entirely by volunteer fans of the band, without any salaries or paid staff, since its inception in 1996. The Foundation is the leading provider of historical information about Phish and its music, having cultivated intellectual property through phish.net since 1994. Also a leading grantmaker in music education for children, the Foundation has now made 493 grants in all 50 states, totaling more than $1.8M. Funds for grants are generated through generous donations from a loyal base of fans, as well as through books,  recordings, artwork, merchandise, and special events.

Registration is open for the Seventh Annual Runaway Open charity golf tournament for Phish fans, to be held in Denver 9/3/22 (the morning between the first 2 and second 2 shows of the upcoming Labor Day’s run at Dick’s.)

Details — The basics stay the same: up to 120 players, at Willis Case, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m., preceded by a coffee, a group photo, and a warm send-off. We’ll continue the same on-course contests and at-the-clubhouse raffles – but it’s really all about swingin’ sticks with fans for charity, so don’t sweat it if you’re rusty, new to the game, or prioritizing fun over competition. So are we, no cap!

Prizes — Each player will receive a gift bag of limited-edition event items, as well as items contributed by sponsors. Pro Shop credits will be awarded for one longest drive, one closest to hole, the top three individual players, and each member of the top two foursomes. Each entry includes one ticket for a raffle (details TBA; must be present to win); additional raffle tickets may be available at the event, pending some paperwork on our end.

Format — All Runaway Opens are a Modified Shamble: Everyone tees and then plays individually from the best first ball (not the best on each stroke) to the hole, and each foursome records the best two (2) scores per hole for the team total. That balances competitive play with a fun-focused day. But don’t fret about format, skill, or handicap, unless you want to – this is all about fun, charity, Sand, Wedge, Dirt, Lawnboy…

Register by completing the form here and making the appropriate donation to the Mockingbird Foundation. The registration ask is $150 per player until Memorial Day, $165 until August 20, and $180 for the final two weeks (with additional options for sponsorships, sponsored foursomes, and more). That donation covers all cart, greens, and tournament fees, including the shotgun structure (pricey to arrange on a Labor Day Saturday!); lunch; a gift bag of goodies available only to fully registered players; and a nominal charitable margin to support music education grants. (The event is priced tightly, to attract as many players as possible. Generosity above the requested donation, now or later, is immensely appreciated.)

Early registration is strongly encouraged. Previous events have nearly doubled in size each year and still sold out, with a waiting list we couldn’t satisfy.

Sponsorships are welcomed in a variety of forms. All sponsors will be acknowledged in coming social media campaigns, before and after the event; thanked (by text and any provided logo) in event promotions at Mbird.org and Phish.net; and welcomed to establish a presence at the event, if they are able and inclined. Options include these, expanded from previous years, and we’re open to suggestions for others:

    $10,000 for a sole underwriter of the event, to be billed everywhere as “Presented by …”;
    $2,000 donation for a sponsored foursome, which will cover four players plus custom signage at a hole;
    $1,200 for custom sponsorship signage at a hole, with no players;
    $600 for naming of a foursome selected by us, with no sign or players; and/or
    donation of items for the gift bags or raffle.