With strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols, 57 amateur golfers participated in the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Education Foundation golf tournament on Saturday, November 28 at the Caymanas Golf Club to raise funds to assist students towards their high school and tertiary education.

Net proceeds from the event was approximately $650,000, of which $270,000 will go to assisting eight students during the current academic year with grants to cover lunch, transportation or school fees, depending on the need. The remainder of the amount raised will be used to assist another 10 students or so in 2021.

Director of the Rotary Club of St Andrew Education Foundation, Donald Patterson, said since the inception of the foundation 24 years ago, over 100 students had received grant assistance from funds earned on investments or through fund-raising efforts such as the recent golf tournament.

According to Patterson, although the golf tournament had to be postponed for two weeks because of the recent heavy rains, he was pleased with the support received from the golfers, lead sponsor First Rock, along with 18 other corporate sponsors. They are Sports Development Foundation, GraceKennedy, Salada Foods, Mayberry Investments, JMMB, Sagicor Group, Sterling Asset Management, Ernst & Young, West Indies Petroleum, Community & Workers of Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union Limited (C&WJCCUL), Crichton Insurance Agency, GAR Engineering, Hi-Pro ACE Supercentre, Carlisa Enterprises, Totally Male, Yes Golf, Quick Chick and Jamaica Producers.

He noted that on tournament day only people from the same household were allowed to travel around the course on each golf cart, while varying tee-off times were established to minimise the number of people at the registration desk at any one time or after play.

Patterson said, after the scores were tabulated by Peter Lindo, general manager of Caymanas Golf Club, Damian Chung was declared the winner with 42 stableford points, to receive a trophy, plus a smart 40-inch TV. Second place went to Major Desmon Brown, with 39 stableford points, who received a Carlisa standing fan and a Hi-Pro gift certificate valued at $10,000.

The highest scoring female was Jennifer Mendes, who won a Carlisa standing fan and a $10,000 Hi-Pro gift certificate.

Past president of the Rotary Club of Kingston, Linval Freeman, had the Best Rotarian score, to win a prize of a $10,000 Hi-Pro gift certificate.

According to Patterson, plans are already being made for the next fund-raising golf tournament to be hosted by the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Education Foundation in June, 2022.