Stars raise R650 000 for charity

Cape Town - A group of golfers, including South African sports celebrities Jacques Kallis, Nick Mallett, Jake White and Francois Pienaar, have raised and donated almost R650 000 to help fund several struggling community organisations.

The sports stars were among about 1 000 golfers who played in the week-long Cadiz Steenberg Classic earlier this month at one of the world’s top golf estates, the Steenberg Golf Estate in Cape Town.

The event - Africa’s biggest amateur golf fundraisers - has raised almost R4 million through auctions and donations over the past 12 years, providing critical aid to community organisations around the golf estate in Cape Town’s southern suburbs.

“The aim is to raise funds and give back to community organisations that do incredible work in and around the golf estate,” said Frank Cadiz, CEO of Cadiz Asset Management, the lead sponsor of the tournament. Cadiz Asset Management is an independent, award-winning company, focused on enriching lives through sustainable investment excellence.

A total of R647 500 was raised over the week-long event which has been distributed to the following beneficiaries:

· The Westlake United Church Trust (WUCT) which described the donation as a “blessing” and said funds from the annual event had helped transform the Westlake Community Centre through the construction of a playground, classrooms, a staffroom, a new roof and a solar heating system. This year’s donation will help fund home-based care services and a community advice office.

· The cash-strapped South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA) which supports disabled children and will use the funds to keep its doors open for at least another year.

· The Emma Animal Rescue Society (TEARS) which will build a new puppy quarantine centre. TEARS rescues, rehabilitates, re-unites and re-homes lost, abandoned, abused and neglected animals. It also provides basic health care to animals in disadvantaged communities. 

· The SA Haemophilia Foundation which supports and educates disadvantaged haemophiliacs, their families and their communities.

· The Steenberg Caddy Programme which provides uniforms and life-skills training to caddies, as well as food parcels during the quiet winter months.

· The Steenberg Clinic which services Steenberg Golf Estate staff, security, caddies, course staff and homeowners’ domestic staff. 

Steenberg’s Director of Golf, Ian Kennedy, congratulated all participants for their fund-raising efforts and said the annual tournament had been hailed by many as one of the most rewarding and enjoyable golfing experiences in SA. The Steenberg Golf Estate was voted by Condé Nast as the No 1 golf resort in SA and No 2 in the world.

In addition to Kallis, Mallett, White and Pienaar, the Steenberg Golf Course boasts a host of other illustrious members, including rugby heroes Morné du Plessis, Lance Sherrell, Robert Brink, Christian Stewart, Dave Stewart and HO de Villiers.