Bill Shaw Classic to benefit Yolanda victims

MANILA, Philippines - The Bill Shaw Golf Classic, Wack Wack’s signature member-guest team tournament, is putting up a seed fund of P500,000 for Typhoon Yolanda survivors as it marks its milestone 25th staging today at Wack Wack’s West Course in Mandaluyong City.

“We have earmarked a minimum of half a million pesos for the Yolanda victims,” said Wack Wack director and chairman of the club’s Sports and Games Committee, Carlo Baniqued. “We might be able to donate more if all those who pledged to support this year’s Bill Shaw will make good their promise,” Baniqued added.

The amount will be turned over to the Tzu Chi Foundation.

The tournament actually kicked off last Monday with the traditional ceremonial drive by the event’s major sponsors and directors of the club. It will be capped by the awards night on Saturday where a brand-new Hyundai Tuczon and four round-trip Delta Airlines Business Elite tickets to North America will be raffled off.

Wack Wack, one of the first to respond to the call for help in the Visayas, actually raised a total of P2 million earlier for the Yolanda victims, mainly from Wack Wack members and staff and realignment of part of funds originally budgeted for social events.

Wack Wack president and concurrent chairman of the club’s Fellowship and Community Outreach Committee, Philip Ella Juico, said during the opening ceremonies that, “Bill Shaw, after whom this tournament is named was said to have been a compassionate person. We therefore draw strength and inspiration from Bill Shaw’s outstanding qualities, and honor him by donating this sum to the Yolanda victims, through the Tzu Chi Foundation which is known for its humanitarian projects.”

As in the previous years, the 25th Bill Shaw Golf Classic features a full roster of participants with 576 confirmed to play in the event spread over four days with many more still hoping to get plucked from the waitlist.

Two M-Benz E-200 and a Yamaha Golf Cart are up for grabs as hole-in-one prizes with several units of latest models of popular gadgets, such as MacBook Air, Ipad Air, Iphone 5S, Bushnell range finders, and many other in-demand devices will be raffled off as major prizes.

Mercedes-Benz, Pilipinas Shell, Delta Airlines and D&L Industries are again the major sponsors of the event with Aidea Phils. Inc., Pacific Online System, Northern Island, Pacific Link, PLDT Alpha Enterprise, Cord Chemicals, Atlas Fertilizer Corp., Tridharma, Group Management & Dev’t Corp., TW Steel/Lucerne, First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp., San Miguel Corp. and Integrated Computer Systems as backers.

Other supporters are Canon, Osim, Cinq Desert Boutique, JCA Security, MOST Law Firm, Stradcom, G&W Clubshares, Pacific Paint Boysen, Cobankiat Hardware, DMCI Homes/Wire Rope Corp., Cinnabon, Land Registration System, S&R, Unilever, MVP Sports, Wilson Sports, Puresound, Security Bank, Splash Corp, Kart Plaza, Virgin Beach, John Hay, Sherwood Hills, The Plaza, Via Mare, Mr. Donuts and Rebisco.