Rotary Club of Ascot

PRESS RELEASE – 17th August 2006

 

Communications & Press officer           Ian Valentine                        ian@cival.info

 

Rotary Club Charity Golf raises over £12,000

 

The Rotary Club of Ascot annual Charity Golf and Auction took place on Monday 14th August at Chobham Golf Course, and by the end of the day more than £12,000 had been raised for charity.  This is close to double the amount raised in 2005.  The main beneficiary this year is the Children with Special Needs Foundation, and the money will be used to help purchase a new wheelchair-adapted minibus for use in the local area.  The main sponsors of the Golf Day were Boehringer Ingelheim of Bracknell and. Eiffel UK Ltd. of Chiswick.

The heavy overnight rain left the course in a very wet condition, with most of the bunkers filled with water.  The rain had also closed roads in Chobham, making access to the Golf Club difficult.  At first, it looked as if the course may not be able to open, however, after a ground inspection it was decided that play was possible, and 19 teams competed through the day.

In the evening the gala dinner and auction took place, attended by some 120 golfers, Rotarians and guests, including Gordon Parris and his wife, Ann, founders of the Children with Special Needs Foundation.  The guest of honour was Bernard Gallacher, OBE, former Ryder Cup player and captain, who gave an entertaining talk about the Ryder Cup competition over the years, and then presented the prizes to the winning teams and individuals.  This was followed by the charity auction, with auctioneer Robin Elliott, which alone raised more than £4,000 of the total.

Geoff Donovan, President of the Rotary Club of Ascot, thanked the 35+ local organisations, businesses and individuals who had sponsored holes, provided prizes and given goods and services for the auction.  Without this generous sponsorship the Golf Day could not have achieved such a successful result.  He also thanked the golfers who had battled every adversity, including deep water, to play the course, and the Rotarians and others who had participated in the organisation and running of the event.