St. Kitts will host the 56th Royal Bank of Canada Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships.

The August 5th to 12th tournament in St. Kitts is an OECS event and the RBC sponsor will once again be supporting the “Birdies for Charity” initiative.

Local officials could not immediately indicate what charity or charities the OECS golf officials will chose.

Word out of the Cayman Islands is that for every birdie made in the final round by each country, RBC will make a donation to that country’s charity of choice.

This year, the Cayman Islands national golf team have chosen to split their donations between Cayman Hospice Care and the Caring For Life Foundation.

Cayman Islands Golf Association president and national team-member Jason Perras spoke about the donations.

“The national team is extremely proud to have chosen Cayman Hospice Care and the Caring For Life Foundation as our designated charities,” Perras said. “We are also grateful to RBC for once again supporting this programme and giving us the opportunity to support two very worthwhile causes.

“Last year, we were able to raise $2,000. It would be great if we could double the amount of the donation this year.”

Cayman Hospice Care provides end of life care to people living in Cayman, while the Caring For Life Foundation raises funds for the purchase of new equipment and supplies for local hospitals. Both groups expressed their delight with the support.

“The Hospice Care’s nursing services are 100 per cent free to our patients and their families, and to make sure we are able to continue this, we need to raise more than CI$50,000 per month,” said Jennifer Grant-McCarthy of Cayman Hospice Care. “It’s a huge amount when you think about it and we rely almost solely upon donations and fundraisers.

“To be chosen by the national team as a recipient of funds helps us not only with the much needed dollars, but also with our ongoing awareness and education campaign. Everyone at the Hospice care will be cheering for the national team as they represent Cayman in St. Kitts.”

“On behalf of the Caring for Life Foundation, I’d like to express our gratitude to the national team for selecting us, and to RBC for their generosity,” said Sharon Diaz, Chairperson of the Caring for Life Foundation. “We are very excited to be a part of this high-profile event and our very best wishes go out to the team as they take on the challenge in St. Kitts.

“We hope there will be plenty of birdies in the final round and we look forward to a nice donation for the Cayman Islands hospitals. Many thanks again and best of luck to all.”

This year’s national team is sponsored by KPMG and Cayman National Bank. It consists of Jason Perras, Adam Nashed, Philip Wight, Jason Lovelock, Paul Woodhouse (Men’s Team), Michael Wight and Joel Dodson (Mid-Amateur Team), Eustace Jeffers and Tracy Moore (Senior’s Team), Andy Newton and Richard Jones (Super Senior’s Team), Samantha Widmer, Emily Ribbins and Isabel Lawson (Women’s Team).

Jason Waters, Area Vice President for RBC Cayman Islands, states Royal Bank is committed to golf in the region.

“RBC is proud to once again support the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships,” Waters said. “Our decision to get on board is driven by our desire to elevate the game in the Caribbean much in the same way that we have in Canada and the United States through our parent company.”

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