25 YEARS OF GOLF WITH THE ROTARY CLUB OF GROS ISLET

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Rotary Club of Gros Islet Saint Lucia is a small club. Now in its 25th year of service to the people of Saint Lucia and the world, it proudly announces the 25th annual golf tournament, a true testament of ongoing collaboration with Corporate Saint Lucia.

President Angela Clarke, in launching the tournament, announced the confirmation of FLOW as the Title Sponsor. As the President thanked FLOW for their support, she went on in her comments to capture the sentiments of club members. She said “from the Late Claude Guillaume to all of the past and present members residing locally and abroad, this is a momentous occasion for the club. And to all of the players and sponsors who have supported us over the last 25 years, we say thank you. We could not have done it without your help. Rotary has been an integral part of the landscape of Saint Lucia for over 50 years, and certainly the Gros Islet Club has, with the ongoing support of strong membership and like-minded community members, remained committed to the cause of improving lives. This year, FLOW, with its commitment to title sponsorship, has contributed to this significantly.”

Club members memorialized the late Claude Guillaume for his contribution to community, and re-named a major award in his honour. In 2015, players representing the Sandals La Toc team were the first to win the Claude Guillaume Memorial trophy. In 2016, the club hit another milestone, as, for the first time in the history of the tournament, a player struck a hole-in-one, and Timothy Mangal, the lucky player, won the 2016 Audi A1 2 door which was donated by JQ Motors.

Businessman Lisle Chase, a founding member of the club, continues to throw himself heart and soul into the tournament. He says, “this is where all of the money for charity comes from. Therefore, we must do our best to make it work. After 25 years, it does not become easier; in fact, it comes with more and more challenges, however, if sponsors are willing to help, then we must continue to do our part to host a successful tournament.”

This year, as the club looks to celebrate its 25th year, club members will launch a Road Safety Awareness Campaign targeting and focusing on male drivers 17 to 50 years of age. Research shows that the number of road accidents resulting in severe injury, disability or death of young men between the ages of 21 and 50 in Saint Lucia is on the rise. More importantly, these are preventable.

The campaign will seek to create awareness and inform and educate males aged 17 to 45 in Saint Lucia, that they must adopt Good Driving Practices and reduce the growing incidences of driving while under any influence as this can lead to road crashes, which is a leading preventable cause of death, among young males aged 21 to 50.

While the club will seek active sponsorship for this venture, all proceeds from the 2018 golf tournament will go toward this project.