Spectators at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship have extra reason to cheer as two of golf’s biggest stars smash their shots off the tee this week with every yard they cover being converted into donation money for a local charity.
The total amount of yards the returning champ Rickie Fowler and his fellow Mercedes Benz ambassador, Marcel Siem, drive on the par five, second and eighth holes will be converted into Dirhams by Emirates Motor Company (EMC). Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) will then double the total figure as part of their own corporate social responsibility campaign, with the money being donated to Abu Dhabi’s Special Care Center.
EMC introduced the ‘Drive For Charity’ CSR campaign at last year’s tournament, and with 2017 being named as the Year of Giving in the UAE, it is now hoping to surpass the 2016 donation of AED 66,976. The donation will go towards the new center being built in Al Bahia under their nationwide Donate A Brick Campaign.
EMC is the authorized distributor of Mercedes-Benz and flagship of Al Fahim Group.
“With 2017 being the Year of Giving in the UAE, and ‘Humanity’ being one of Al Fahim Group’s core values, we thought it was important that this was reflected at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as it is such a renowned tournament in the Abu Dhabi and across the world. We are absolutely thrilled that the Abu Dhabi Sports Council have again chosen to partner with us for such an important campaign that will have a direct impact on the lives of many children at the Special Care Center, Abu Dhabi,” said Ramez Youssef, the Head of Marketing and Communications at Al Fahim Group.
Professional players of Fowler and Siem’s caliber can reach over 300 yards off the tee, therefore over the course of a four-day tournament over the two holes it is highly possible they could reach a total 4800 yards between them.
“In line with the United Arab Emirates’ Year of Giving, we are intent on supporting this initiative and helping those within our community through the Abu Dhabi Sports Council event portfolio. Matching the incredibly generous donation to the Special Care Center by our friends at EMC, is a first step towards delivering on our intention,” said His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of ADSC.
Established in 1989, the Special Care Center Abu Dhabi is a non-profit school for children with persons with a disability registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs as an ‘Establishment for disabled care and rehabilitation’, providing activities and an atmosphere conducive to the development and improvement of self-esteem and emotional well-being of every child.
