Title sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management and official sponsor Ballantine’s Scotch whisky have bolstered the charitable fundraising at the 2016 Scottish Open by signing up for the Birdies for Good initiative.
CLIC Sargent, the Official Charity of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, will significantly benefit from the Birdies for Good scheme, with 100 per cent of the money raised being donated to the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people.
Every birdie, eagle, albatross and hole in one made by the professionals across the four tournament days (from July 7-10) at Castle Stuart Golf Links, in Inverness, will help CLIC Sargent provide clinical, practical, financial and emotional support to cancer sufferers and their families.
Both Aberdeen Asset Management and Ballantine’s will contribute £5 per birdie, £10 per eagle, and £100 per albatross to the Birdies for Good fund. In addition, if a player makes a hole in one the two companies will donate £5 per yard – meaning the longer the yardage of the hole, the more money that is raised for CLIC Sargent.
In 2013, the last time the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open was held at Castle Stuart, Matteo Manassero made an ace in the third round on the 218-yard eighth hole – a feat which would have earned £1,090 for charity.
In addition to Manassero’s hole in one, a total of 1,779 birdies and 64 eagles were recorded in 2013 – if those numbers were replicated this year, CLIC Sargent would receive in excess of £20,000 from Aberdeen Asset Management and Pernod Ricard combined.
Peter Adams, Championship Director of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, said: “Birdies for Good is set to raise thousands of pounds for CLIC Sargent so we must thank Aberdeen Asset Management and Ballantine’s for throwing their generous support behind this fantastic initiative, which will help to make a difference to the lives of local youngsters suffering with cancer.”
Rachel Kirby-Rider, Director of Fundraising for CLIC Sargent, said: “The idea that every birdie, eagle and albatross made will raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer is very exciting.
“We can currently only provide support for two out of every three young cancer patients, and fundraising like this is another step towards our target of making it three out of three.
“We are hugely grateful for the generosity being displayed by Aberdeen Asset Management and Ballantine’s, and are keeping our fingers crossed for several holes in one!”
Lynda Affleck, Head of Charitable Giving at Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “We hope that our support of ‘Birdies for Good’, as well as other initiatives associated with the tournament, will have a significant bearing on the lives of young people in the UK who are affected by cancer. Since our title sponsorship of the Scottish Open began in 2012, we have been delighted to contribute to the official fundraising pot year-on-year and are very pleased to be able to help in this way.”
Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, remarked: “We are delighted to be supporting the Birdies for Good initiative at this year's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. We very much hope the players do us proud so we can raise significant funds for CLIC Sargent and play our part in helping to improve the lives of those battling cancer across the UK.”
Individual donations can be made to CLIC Sargent at the following link:http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/content/donate
Fans can also engage with the campaign by watching and sharing the ‘Birdie of the Day’ video, which will be published on the European Tour’s website and social media platforms.
