Three charities are to benefit from proceeds coming from the Red Blazer Charity Golf Classic set for July 22 at Constant Spring Golf Club, in St Andrew, with an 8:00 am start in full handicap Stableford format.

There will be four categories of players – men, ladies, seniors and juniors. Eighty golfers are expected to participate to win prizes donated by corporate Jamaica.

Now in its 21st staging, the event is to be hosted by the Liguanea Lodge to benefit the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Education Foundation, a new bursary at the Tony Thwaites Wing, which will select senior residents carrying out cutting-edge research and the 2023-24 Rotary Club of St Andrew North’s major project focusing on autism.

Since the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Education Foundation was formed 27 years ago, it has contributed grants to more than 130 students in need at the secondary and tertiary levels. It is funded by earnings from investments and fund-raising efforts, including an annual golf tournament which began in 2018.

“We are pleased and grateful that the Liguanea Lodge has identified our foundation as a worthy beneficiary of proceeds from its tournament. We can forego our tournament this year and yet be in a position to disburse grants to 10 or more students for the September start of the school year,” said Donald Patterson, director of the Rotary Club of St Andrew North Education Foundation.

Judith Price, general manager of the Tony Thwaites Wing (TTW) of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), said the hospital was pleased to again partner with the Liguanea Lodge on the annual golf tournament.

“Through this partnership and the proceeds of the event, we will be establishing a new TTW bursary for doctors enrolled in the senior residency programme at the UHWI.

“We see this as an added opportunity for us to invest in the future of our junior doctors who are undertaking cutting-edge research studies and continued education in their respective disciplines. As an established charitable organisation, TTW has a long-standing history of supporting our local health workforce through scholarships and sponsorship programmes for nurses and practising doctors. We are excited about this event and anticipate a great turnout and support for this worthy cause,” she said.

Part-proceeds will also go to the Rotary Club of St Andrew North’s major project for 2023-2024, which is the construction of a new classroom at the McCam Child Development and Resource Centre, in Papine. “The early childhood centre caters to children with autism, and during my presidency I wish to complete the project and hand it over. It will cost about $2.6 million and we hope to begin construction in September, based on commitments received,” said Kirk Crichton, newly installed president of the Rotary Club of St Andrew North.