The Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola will make another significant contribution to the Chinese Foundation for the Prevention of STDs and AIDS when the seventh playing of China’s premier charity golf event takes to Shanghai from 4-5 November.
The “Union of Golf and Giving” will return to Shanghai Links and the JingAn Shangri-La for a star-studded gala and pro-am tournament featuring prominent businessmen, celebrities, and professional golfers. Tournament host Gary Player is looking forward to another successful event as support continues to build into The Player Foundation’s 30th anniversary.
“It is a great honor for The Player Foundation and myself to collaborate with Coca-Cola to support sustainable community development and make a positive impact on the lives of the AIDS-affected children,” said Player. “I hope that through this initiative we are able to give more AIDS-affected children a better future.”
As one of China’s most successful charity events, the Gary Player Invitational has raised over RMB 50 million for the Chinese Foundation for the Prevention of STDs and AIDS. “We are happy to see the great achievement of the GPI in benefiting the AIDS-affected children in the past few years and are happy to be part of it,” said David G Brooks, Chairman, Coca-Cola Greater China & Korea.
“With the legacy of 126 years, Coca-Cola is dedicated to giving back to the community, and endeavors to make a positive difference through collaboration with business, government and community as well as through the contribution of our staff. Working together with our partners, we aim to champion sustainability and promote a better future in the communities.”
Throughout its history, the tournament has benefited more than 12,654 AIDS-affected children across four provinces and autonomous regions in China, providing them with long-term living allowances, financial aid, medical assistance and psychological counseling.
Additionally, a total of 205 AIDS-affected families including 710 AIDS-affected women in Yunnan province have received support, with housing aid for 56 families and university scholarships for 93 AIDS-affected children from the area.
The support provided to those impacted by AIDS and STDs in China is just a fraction of the work and aid funded through The Player Foundation, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2013. Having raised more than $50 million dollars in three decades, The Player Foundation is continuing to spread hope and aid to underprivileged children around the world through funds raised at the global Gary Player Invitational series events.
For more information, visit GaryPlayerInvitational.com or follow @GPInvitational on Twitter.
For further information, please contact:
Meagan Sickle, Black Knight International (South Africa)
E: meagan@garyplayer.co.za or T: +27 (0) 21 448 7777
Grace Lipscomb-Vine, Black Knight International (US)
E: grace@garyplayer.com or T: + 1 864 477 2720
Notes to Editors
Gary Player Invitational 2013 Series
United States – Georgia
Dates: 14-15 April 2013
Champions Retreat, Augusta
United Kingdom – England
Dates: 22 July 2013
Wentworth Golf Club, Surrey
China – Shanghai
Dates: 4-5 November 2013
Shanghai Links
South Africa
Dates: 14- 17 November 2013
The Lost City Golf Course, The Palace Hotel, Sun City
About The Player Foundation
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by four Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated over $50 million dollars to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, the company’s portfolio features 15 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, Vitamin Water, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, it is the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy its beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, the company is focused on initiatives that reduce its environmental footprint and which support active, healthy living; as well as creating a safe, inclusive work environment for its associates; and enhancing the economic development of the communities where it operates. Together with its bottling partners, the company ranks among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700 000 system associates. For more information, visit www.thecoca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog at www.coca-colablog.com.
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