GARY PLAYER TO HOST ALL STAR GOLF CHARITY INVITATIONAL IN NEW YORK
The Berenberg Gary Player Invitational annual charity event in New York on September 30 – October 1 will raise funds for underprivileged children.
Black Knight International and Berenberg, the German private and investment bank, today announced that the 2018 Berenberg Gary Player Invitational will once again celebrate the Union of Golf and Giving at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford, New York on September 30 and October 1.
After successful events this year in London and Abu Dhabi, the series marks another visit to New York. A gathering of professional golfers and athletes, the event at the Gary Player designed course, GlenArbor Golf Club, in Bedford will be followed by a gala dinner and charitable auction.
“Each year we look forward to returning to GlenArbor to continue the tradition of celebrating the Union of Golf and Giving at this special event,” said Gary Player. “It’s a super venue that serves as a stunning backdrop for our tremendous fundraising efforts toward the ultimate quest of raising $100 million for The Player Foundation.”
“As the second oldest bank in the world with an ever-expanding footprint in the U.S., it’s an honor and a pleasure to continue our strong partnership with global ambassador Gary Player at GlenArbor,” said Hendrik Riehmer, Managing Partner of Berenberg, the private and investment bank that was founded 1590 in Hamburg, Germany.
The New York event of the global series returns to GlenArbor Golf Club after a tremendously successful tournament last year in 2017. Several of the biggest names in golf and business came together to raise more than $300,000 for The Player Foundation.
This year’s event will bring together an all-star field including Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Trevor Immelman, Branden Grace, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara, Hale Irwin, Victoria Elizabeth, Beatriz Recari, Brittany Lang, Caroline Martens and Troy Mullins.
“We are most grateful to all our sponsors,” said Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International. “It’s a wonderful event with some of the biggest names in golf that’s proven to be an enjoyable and successful fundraiser year after year.”
The Berenberg Gary Player Invitational forms part of the world-leading charity golf series, which has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $64 million for charities worldwide. The Player Foundation’s goal is to donate $100 million by 2025 in the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities, and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
The series will continue later this year in Hong Kong, China and conclude at Sun City in South Africa.
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720
Jade Lotriet – Black Knight International
jade@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
Notes to the editors:
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.
ABOUT BERENBERG
Berenberg was established in 1590 and today is one of Europe’s leading privately owned banks. With headquarters in Hamburg and strong presences in Frankfurt, London, New York and Zurich the bank works from offices across Europe and America. Berenberg delivers its expertise through four divisions – Wealth Management, Asset Management, Investment Banking and Corporate Banking.
Berenberg is led by Managing Partners who are fully responsible for the bank. In its 428 year history there have been only 38 of them. In the last ten years, Berenberg doubled its staff to 1,600 professionals to deliver a modern and efficient service, while maintaining a firm connection with its heritage and traditions.
“We are proud to call Gary Player our Brand Ambassador, as he is truly a great Ambassador for the game of golf,” says Hendrik Riehmer, Managing Partner of Berenberg. “This must be measured not just in terms of his career achievements as a Grand Slam Champion, but also in driving such outstanding philanthropic initiatives as the Gary Player Invitational series. The event’s great virtues and its ability to give so much back to charity is one of the many reasons we have chosen this sponsorship as an important business platform for years to come.”
BERENBERG AND GPI RELATIONSHIP
Berenberg staged the first European Senior Tour tournament in South Africa 2010 and since that time a deep relationship between Mr. Player and Berenberg has developed. Gary Player is one of many brand ambassadors of Berenberg in golf, besides Tom Watson, Colin Montgomerie, Martin Kaymer, Branden Grace, Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Mark O’Meara and Georgia Hall.
