The Player Foundation continues celebrations in its 30th anniversary year as the European leg of the Gary Player Invitational (GPI), presented by Berenberg, takes to the historic Wentworth Club outside London on 22 July. In the name of charity, the GPI brings together golfers, celebrities, sports stars and prominent businesspeople for a union of golf and giving that focuses on the aid of underprivileged children. “It is with great pleasure that our Gary Player Invitational event returns once again to Wentworth,” said Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International. “In the 30 years of The Player Foundation, we have been able to make a significant difference in the lives of many, many young children. Great sponsors like Berenberg, Rolex and Callaway Golf, and other generous participants continue to drive the success of our GPI event in the UK." “We are glad to support The Player Foundation and to continue the longstanding partnership between Gary Player and our bank”, said Hendrik Riehmer, Managing Partner of Berenberg. Gary Player is ambassador of the Berenberg Masters, one of the largest European Senior Tour tournaments. This year, the European GPI will partner BerenbergKids, a charity started by the presenting sponsor born out the desire to give back to children in their local communities throughout Germany and the UK. The BerenbergKids organisation supports underprivileged youth in the UK through the Demelza Hospice Care for Children that cares for over 700 life-limited children and their families. All funds raised by the Europe GPI will assist the efforts of Demelza Hospice Care for Children. “I have found it to be of the utmost importance to help underprivileged children around the world”, said golfing icon and GPI host, Gary Player. “The support of BerenbergKids for Demelza Hospice Care for Children is very touching and a cause that hits very close to home as I grew up in a family that experienced the loss of a loved one through cancer. I know the traumatic impact that can have on the entire family.” For the GPI tournament at Wentworth’s Edinburgh Course, designed by Player, the golfing legend will be joined by professional golfers Ian Woosnam, Tony Johnstone, Helen Alfredsson and Hennie Zuel. Celebrities showing their support for the event are recording artists Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden, rugby footballer Martin Bayfield, as well as television personalities Dougie Donnelly, Naga Munchetty, Anton Du Beke and Chris Hollins. The European leg of the Gary Player Invitational (GPI) is just the second stop of the global GPI series, the world’s leading charity golf series, which also travels to the United States, China and South Africa. Through the Gary Player Invitational events, The Player Foundation has raised over $50 million in support of underprivileged children, the betterment of impoverished communities, and the expansion of educational opportunities around the world since 1983. 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 – To Be Announced
Dates: To Be Announced
To Be Announced 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 Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida. About BerenbergKids Formed in 2007 and then established as an official foundation in 2009, BerenbergKids supports underprivileged children through different fundraising and volunteering activities, which range from social events to physical challenges and competitions.
Many of the children and young people supported by the programme lack access to one or more of life’s fundamental rights: shelter, food, education, health care and social support.
The foundation has raised close to $1 million for its chosen charities. About Demelza Hospice Care for Children Demelza Hospice Care for Children cares for over 700 life-limited children and their families. The charity offers respite, symptom control, end-of-life care and bereavement support for families with children who are either life limited or suffer from conditions that mean they need a lot of specialist care.
The philosophy of the charity is that palliative care is not solely about dying but is more about quality of life irrespective of how long or short that life will be. |  | 
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