Golf day donates to kids’s swimming programs
By Michael Smith in HCMC
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| Guests play golf at the Montgomerie Links - Photo: The organizers |
The second annual Swing to Swim Charity Golf and Dinner event at the Montgomerie Links in Danang aims to raise VND500 million to teach kids to swim across Vietnam.
“The Montgomerie Links is proud to host Swing to Swim due to the significance of drowning in our region,” Jon Tomlinson, general director of the Montgomerie Links, said.
“We’re trying to get sponsors and golfers. We’re also trying to get some of the international schools to do a swimming program/activity in the week of the golf tournament so that we have an unofficial water safety week,” said Phil Johns, president of the Vietnam Swans Australian Rules Football Club, which is partnering with Montgomerie Links to organize the event.
Johns said some schools in HCMC and Danang were already on board.
“This charity golf event takes enormous steps to provide funding to these worthy swimming programs to save the lives of local citizens,” Tomlinson said.
Swim Vietnam and Swim Safe, will be the beneficiaries from the money raised.
Swim Vietnam, which is a registered charity running survival swimming programs in Duy Xuyen and Hoi An in Quang Nam Province, has taught over 2,300 children to swim and trained 65 adults as AUSTSWIM (internationally recognised) swimming teachers.
Swim Safe (supported by the Royal Lifesaving Society of Australia RLSSA and The Alliance for Safe Children TASC) has been building local capacity to manage and teach swimming and water safety to children across Vietnam. It has reached 6000 kids each year across 15 of the highest child drowning risk provinces in the country.
Last year’s event paid for a new above ground pool and new swim program in Duy Xuyen (a rural area outside Hoi An) plus funded an AUSTSWIM internationally recognized training course held for 32 new swim teachers and swim classes for children with disabilities.
The event starts 10 a.m. on Saturday March 17 with 18 holes of golf, competitions for the best shots and a dinner program. Entry fee of VND2 million is all inclusive.
The contact person for more info and sponsorship registration is Montgomerie Links Banquets/Events Manager, Donna Tran: donna.tran@montgomerielinks.com