CLIC Sargent Highlands & Islands, Scotland’s leading cancer support charity for children and young people, benefited to the tune of £43,000 as the Official Charity of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Part of that figure came from the Birdies for Good initiative, backed by title sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management and official sponsor Ballantine’s whisky.
Every birdie and eagle made by the professionals amounted to £5 and £10 respectively being contributed by both sponsors – totalling £15,180, with 1,428 birdies and 45 eagles being made across the four tournament days.
Tartan Wednesday, and the sale of raffle tickets and awareness ribbons, contributed more than £7,000 to the total amount, with the remainder being raised through the Celebrity Pro-Am.
The money raised will help the charity provide practical, financial and social support to families across the UK struck by cancer through a variety of services including social workers, play specialists, financial grants and free accommodation at ten ‘Homes from Home’.
Lynda Affleck, Head of Charitable Giving at Aberdeen Asset Management, said: “We are delighted that such a wonderful sum has been raised to support CLIC Sargent here in the Highlands. We are also pleased that through their role as official charity at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart, we have helped to raise awareness of their fantastic work with young cancer patients in Scotland.
“It has been a pleasure for us to work with the CLIC Sargent team at the Scottish Open, and to raise this great sum. Our thanks go to all the players, the spectators, to fellow sponsor Ballantine’s and to the European Tour for their assistance in making this possible.”
Kate Lee, Chief Executive of CLIC Sargent, said: “We are hugely grateful for the fantastic support we have been given at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. The brilliant fundraising total of £43,000 will make a tangible difference to the lives of young cancer patients.
“We work across Scotland and the rest of the UK with children and young people with cancer, aiming to be there for them and their families right from the point of diagnosis, providing practical, social and financial support through our many services such as social workers, play specialists, financial grants and our ‘Homes from Home’.
“We are still not able to get our vital frontline services to every child and young person given the devastating news that they have cancer, but a fantastic fundraising event like this takes us one step closer.”
Peter Adams, Championship Director of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, said: “We would like to place on record our huge thanks to Aberdeen Asset Management and Ballantine’s for their support of the Birdies for Good pledge, as well as the players and spectators for the significant contributions they made throughout the week. Through their generosity, we have raised a fantastic sum of money which will directly benefit children and young people with cancer.
“Birdies for Good was a very important part of the overall fundraising effort during the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. As a result of its success, the European Tour will implement the initiative at more events in conjunction with local sponsors to support local charities.”
