The Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola will celebrate its 15th anniversary as South Africa’s premier charity golf tournament when professional golfers, celebrities and business leaders gather for this year’s tournament at the Lost City Golf Course at Sun City from November 20-23.
As a “Union of Golf and Giving” that stretches around the globe, the South African charity event concludes the international Gary Player Invitational series which also stages events in the USA, Europe, China, and Abu Dhabi.
Professional golfers are paired with celebrities and business leaders in the event that aims to give golf a heart as it raises money for charities supported by The Player Foundation. The official beneficiaries of the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola are the Wildlands Conservation Trust in partnership with Qhubeka, as well as Wings and Wishes.
To date, the series has raised over R600 million for charity, a core component of what the golfing icon and Grand Slam champion hopes will be one of his greatest legacies.
“I have achieved all and more than I ever dreamt for on the golf course, but I count what The Player Foundation has been able to accomplish with the help of our Gary Player Invitational series as one of the most important and fulfilling achievements of my life,” said tournament host and golf icon Gary Player. “I want my epitaph to say, ‘Here is a man who was interested in his fellow man, education and health. And he bettered the lives of those less fortunate. Surely that is the greatest legacy a man can leave? I count my blessings that my career has allowed me to do this and that we have had the support of all our generous sponsors to help make this possible.”
Coca-Cola remains one of the longest standing supporters of the Gary Player Invitational’s drive to improve the lives of the poor and provide a sustainable future for them through a focus on Women, Wellness and Water.
“We are always proud to be associated with the GPI. Coca-Cola has been creating jobs and economic opportunity while bringing people together for good causes and good times – from recycling programs to fitness programs and women’s empowerment initiatives. It’s in our DNA to make a lasting difference in communities around the world. To ensure we continue to make a positive impact on people, communities and the environment over time, we are embedding sustainability into our business and making it a part of everything we do and the GPI is one platform that allows us to do this,” said Therese Gearhart, President of Coca-Cola Southern Africa,” said Therese Gearhart, President of Coca-Cola Southern Africa.
For more information on the Gary Player Invitational, visit www.garyplayerinvitational.com and follow @GPInvitational on Twitter.
For more information please contact:
BLACK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Established in 1983 by Marc Player, Black Knight International is a global holding company for The Player Group and the constantly expanding family of Gary Player® brands. With a powerful presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Black Knight is a multicultural and multilingual company offering branded services for the leisure and real estate industries. This rapidly growing firm is diverse and infused with the same tenaciousness and drive as Gary Player, world renowned iconic golfer. The holding company divisions include: Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, Black Knight Enterprises, Black Knight Solutions, Black Knight Capital, Gary Player Academies, and The Player Foundation.
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 Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
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
About the Beneficiaries:
WINGS AND WISHES
Wings and Wishes was started by staff at the Coca-Cola Sabco bottling company in Port Elizabeth to collect air-miles to transport critically ill children to receive super-specialist medical care.
WILDLANDS CONSERVATION TRUST
The Wildlands Conservation Trust has networks in 35 communities transforming the lives of South African waste-preneurs and tree-preneurs who grow over 600 000 trees and hand-collect over 3 million kilograms of recycled waste annually. The waste and trees are bartered for bicycles, building materials and food as part of the Wildlands’ vision to restore the ecosystems that underwrite the welfare of these communities.
Contact:
Grace Vine – Black Knight International
grace@garyplayer.com
+1 864 477 2720
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777