Leading tea and coffee merchant, John Farrer & Co, Kendal, are supporting this year’s St. Mary’s Hospice annual golf charity fundraiser at Windermere Golf Club today (Friday 06th September), hosted by Jill Santamera of Community Spirit.
Fundraiser Jill Santamera started the first ever event in 2008 after a personal brush with cancer. In light of this she wanted to give something back, so she set about creating the annual charity gold fundraiser by utilising her event management experience, which she combined with her love of golf and her gratitude for the community that supported her during her illness.
The annual event is unlike any other golf event you might have witnessed… it’s fun for starters, not only do the players create unique golfing memories, their spirit of camaraderie is exceptional with a common goal of supporting local charities as fully as possible.
Over the years the event has seen living topiary bushes sneaking up on players, singers suddenly appear and perform tunes from the Sound of Music on the greens and even gorilla’s lobbing fruit at players, when they have been lining up that all important putt.
Each year the event is made possible thanks to the generous support of 25 volunteers who get involved as well as the generous support of local, regional and national businesses that all get behind it; companies including the likes of Emirates and the Leeu Collection.
As in previous years, this year’s proceedings will get underway at 9am with a welcoming mug of Farrer’s Tea or Coffee and a bacon butty. After which players will set off and play, negotiating the odd surprise along the way…
Vital mid-tournament refuelling at the halfway house hostelry will be served up by Keswick Brewery, Willan’s of Kendal and Church Mouse Cheeses. Alongside that the event’s now legendary ‘on green’ ice creams dished out by Joseph’s of Kendal; will make a very welcome appearance throughout…
At the close of play, players may be forced to gather and enjoy a cocktail or two before retiring to enjoy the presentation dinner hosted by comedian Norman Prince, generously supported by Sanlam Wealthsmiths and Function 18.
Fundraiser, Jill Santamera, commented: “I’m totally overwhelmed by the generosity of those that participate and the sponsors that support this annual event. It has continued to grow from strength to strength over the years and has now become a firm fixture in the golfing social calendar, with teams travelling from all over the North West to compete and raise vital funds for St. Mary’s Hospice. Each year without fail wonderful memories and firm friends are made, which ensures that the hospice can continue to provide quality care for communities across north Lancashire and south Cumbria.’’
Farrer’s General Manager, Dave Walsh, said: ‘’As a company, Farrer’s has always tried to support our local community where possible. We are particularly proud to have been a long-standing supporter of ‘Jill’s Golf Day’ and the local charities it has supported since 2008. We feel that it is really important that as a business we support events like this where we can. Events like this really demonstrate that if we all play our part people and businesses can effectively come together to help support people within our community who find themselves in real need, and make a real difference to their lives, and that can only be a good thing, which is why I would encourage more businesses to get involved in supporting their local charities.‘’
