(Tokyo, Japan): The Gary Player Invitational presented by Mazda concluded the second leg of its global series in Japan after Tuesday’s charity auction, which raised more than $125,000 for Support Our Kids to benefit the children of the tsunami disaster in Tohoku.
Golf icon and tournament host, Gary Player, spent the past few days in Tokyo where he attended charity concerts, golf events, and a gala dinner and auction continuing his philanthropic efforts around the world. The week also saw international entertainers and sports figures join the Union of Golf and Giving including famed Irish singer Enya and Japanese baseball star Tatsunori Hara.
Musashigoka Golf Club played host to the Celebrity Golf Day where top businessmen played alongside the Black Knight. The following day at Kasumigaseki Country Club, site of 2020 Olympic Golf venue, brought a Children’s Clinic and Kid’s Golf Competition to one of Japan’s most prestigious courses.
“My time in Tokyo has been filled with absolute joy,” said Gary Player. “I first came to Japan in 1957 hoping to grow golf on an international level. To now have an annual Gary Player Invitational event here is very special. Japan is a wonderful country, and we cannot wait to be back next year to continue to raise money for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami disaster.”
The Player Foundation, established by Marc Player, selected Support Our Kids as the beneficiary of the event to aid the suffering children of Tohoku. The event also helped promote the restoration of North Eastern Japan, which in 2016, commemorated the fifth year since the disaster.
With the cooperation of 11 embassies of countries around the world including the USA, UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Republic of San Marino, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Support Our Kids project assists children who are still living under stressful circumstances in the aftermath of the disaster. They believe children will play a significant role in the reconstruction of Tohoku and aim to nurture these children into becoming full reconstruction leaders through experiences overseas.
“I want to thank Mr. Akizawa, Mazda, Jidaino Souzou Koubou, Bourbon, Kose, Rolex, SAP and all of our other sponsors for helping to make this week a world-class event,” said Gary Player. “It was an honor to be here and I look forward to coming back to Japan very soon.”
The Gary Player Invitational in Japan forms part of the world-leading charity golf series, which has raised more than $62 million for charities worldwide. The Player Foundation, aims to donate $100 million to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Contact:
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
The Gary Player Invitational, SOK Japan
+81 (0) 3 6272 6252 / SOK@jidai.or.jp
http://support-our-kids.org/gpi
NPO Jidai no Souzou Koubou
Mitsuri Koujimachi Bldg 3F
2-12-6 Koujimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083
ABOUT 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.
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 six 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 more than $60 million 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.
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