We Continue, Because We Care

SHANGHAI, Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola presented the 2013 Gary Player Invitational and the Charity Gala Evening on Nov. 4, partnered with Gary Player, the legendary golfer, and The Player Foundation for the 7^th year in a row.  With the joint efforts of hundreds of philanthropists, a total of RMB 8 million was raised through the auctions of over 50 items in the gala dinner. Plus the fund raised from Coca-Cola China's employee charity bazaar earlier, Coca-Cola China and the Gary Player Invitational has generated about RMB 60 million in the past seven years for improving the living conditions of and providing educational support to AIDS orphans in the underprivileged areas of China.

"This is part of our long-term sustainability commitment in China," said David G. Brooks, Chairman of Coca-Cola Greater China and Korea. "We cannot develop our business without the healthy and sustainable development of our local communities. We will keep doing our small parts for those underprivileged kids affected by AIDS, because we do care. Seeing smiles coming back on their faces is the best gift we can imagine." 

As of October, 2013, the program has collected over RMB 51 million and supported 14,443 AIDS orphans in Yunnan, Xinjiang, Hubei and Anhui by providing their families with living allowances, financial aids, medical assistance and psychological counseling. In addition, the program has also subsidized 710 AIDS-affected women, offered college bursaries to 93 AIDS orphans, and helped to build houses for 56 AIDS-affected families.

"2013 is the 30^th anniversary of The Player Foundation. We are rather honored to work with Coca-Cola China, the local organizations and philanthropists. This kind of collaboration turned out to be quite successful in the past seven years and made positive difference to the living condition of AIDS-affected kids and their families. Together, we have the power to change the future of those kids and their families," said Gary Player.

Player, who just celebrated his 78^th birthday a few days earlier, was very impressed by Guan Tianlang, the 15-year-old Chinese golf rising-star. "As a member of the youngest generation of golfers, he not only has the exquisite skills, but also shoulders the responsibility of helping the others as much as we golfers can." Regardless of the age difference, these two golfers admired each other and successfully generated RMB 405,000 after a tough bidding war for the auction item "golf with Guan Tianlang". "This is a meaningful charity event, and I am glad to meet my idol Gary here. Most importantly, I can do something for the underprivileged of my own age," Guan said.

The Gary Player Invitational and the Charity Gala Evening was also attended by Li Chaolin, President of Chinese Foundation for the Prevention of STD and AIDS, famous singers like JJ Lim, Jane Zhang, Ding Dang and Li Xiangxiang, champion of Chinese Idol, as well as several Miss Universes.

Through seven consecutive years of efforts, the Gary Play Invitational has not only raised funds to help AIDS orphans, but also successfully drawn social attention to this important cause. "Thanks to the advocating from Coca-Cola China, and many other philanthropists, the Gary Player Invitational has led a philanthropic butterfly effect – more and more people are becoming aware of the needs of this particular disadvantaged group, offering their hands and demonstrating their acceptance," commented Li Chaolin. "We will keep working on the living improvement for those AIDS-affected children and their families by leveraging various social resources from businesses and individuals."

"Together with our local organizational partners, we have served our local communities in the past 35 years since Coca-Cola's return to China in 1979," Brooks added. By the end of 2012, Coca-Cola China had invested RMB 250 million on sustainability initiatives. After a 20-year close partnership with the Project Hope, Coca-Cola has built 121 Project Hope schools and enabled the education of over 100,000 children in underprivileged areas of China. Over the past two years, Coca-Cola China partnered with the One Foundation and continued to organize the "Walk for Love", both initiatives aiming to provide safe drinking water to children.

The Player Foundation

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, The Player Foundation was originally established by legendary golfer Gary Player to provide quality education, nutrition, medical care, transportation and extra-curricular activities to the less fortunate children living in the rural areas of South Africa. Today, through several annual events staged in the United States, Asia, Europe and South Africa, the foundation has raised more than USD 25 million for impoverished children globally. The Gary Player Foundation is headquartered in Palm Beach, Florida and operates as a 501 C (3) non-profit organization.

For additional information visit: www.garyplayerfoundation.org.

SOURCE The Player Foundation