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DES MOINES, Iowa--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--The 2012 Principal Charity Classic will donate a record $917,729 to local childrenas charities a" and in 2013, the world-class golf and community event will be hosted by Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa. The annual PGA TOURas Champions Tour tournament is sponsored by [ the Principal Financial Group ] and presented by [ Wells Fargo ].

"Above all, weare honored to partner with Wakonda Club to bring Champions Tour golfers to one of Iowaas most legendary golf courses."

aThe 2012 tournament was record breaking in many ways. Thanks to the incredible support of all those involved, the charitable impact of The Principal Charity Classic has been taken to new levels, benefiting our most valuable asset a" our kids,a said Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO, The Principal.

Over the last six years, The Principal Charity Classic, the only Champions Tour event in Iowa, has distributed over $4 million for local childrenas charities, funding efforts that have benefited thousands of children in Central Iowa.

The Principal Charity Classic will call [ Wakonda Club ] home in 2013-15. The Principal announced the [ renewal of its title sponsorship ] of the tournament through 2015.

aWeare eager to bring The Principal Charity Classic to the heart of our city and showcase downtown Des Moines to a national audience,a said Mary OaKeefe, chair of The Principal Charity Classic and senior vice president, The Principal. aAbove all, weare honored to partner with Wakonda Club to bring Champions Tour golfers to one of Iowaas most legendary golf courses.a

aThe members and staff of Wakonda Club look forward to the tee off of The 2013 Principal Charity Classic, where weall have the opportunity to host one of the strongest fields on the Champions Tour and showcase our historic golf course to more than 75,000 fans,a said Jim Adrianse, president of the Wakonda Club Board of Directors.

Donations from the 2012 tournament will be distributed to five a[ FORE Our Kids ]a charities, as well as 92 [ Birdies for Charity ] organizations.

The five aFORE Our Kidsa charities are:

• Blank Childrenas Hospital
• BRAVO Greater Des Moines
• The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines (tournament host organization)
• United Way of Central Iowa
• Varietya"the Childrenas Charity of Iowa

According to the PGA, The Principal Charity Classic is among the top two of all Champions Tour events in terms of tournament generated proceeds raised for charity.

In addition to benefitting local charities, the PGA TOUR and an Iowa State University study estimate the tournament generates an economic impact of $20.8 million annually for the region, including increased business for area hotels, restaurants, shopping establishments and other entertainment venues. The event also showcases Des Moines to a national television audience and to more than 80 PGA Champions Tour golfers.

About The Principal Charity Classic
[ The Principal Charity Classic ], sponsored by [ the Principal Financial Group ] and presented by [ Wells Fargo ] brings PGA Champions Tour pro golf to Des Moines. Voted the No. 1 stop by Champions Tour professionals in 2010. Jay Haas was the 2012 champion and a three-time tournament champion overall.

Hosted by the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, funds raised through the event will benefit FORE Our Kids, a group of five select charities that support Iowaas children: Blank Childrenas Hospital; Bravo Greater Des Moines; Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines; United Way of Central Iowa; and Variety, The Childrenas Charity of Iowa. For more information on the charities and the tournament, visit [ www.principalcharityclassic.com ] or connect with the tournament on [ Facebook ] or [ Twitter ].

About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group (The Principal )¹ is a global investment management leader including retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500, the Principal Financial Group has $367.1 billion in assets under management² and serves some 18.2 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit [ www.principal.com ].

About The Champions Tour
Collectively, the Champions Tour has the most recognizable and accomplished players in the game with many of its 30 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame competing regularly in its events and numerous other major championship winners among its members. The Champions Tour is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older. Conceived in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour, it started with just four events and purses totaling $475,000. Points earned in official Charles Schwab Cup events in 2011 determined Tom Lehman as the Charles Schwab Cup champion, the season-long competition designed to recognize the Champions Touras leading player. The Champions Tour's primary purpose is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, protect the integrity of the game and generate significant charitable and economic impact in communities in which it plays. In 2011, tournaments on all three Tours (PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour) generated more than $118 million for local charitable organizations, bringing the TOURas all-time total of charitable contributions to more than $1.7 billion. The Commissioner of the PGA TOUR is Tim Finchem. Mike Stevens is President of the Champions Tour. The PGA TOURas website is [ www.pgatour.com ], the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

¹aThe Principal Financial Groupa and aThe Principala are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.
² As of June 30, 2012.