McDONALD’S of Guam and Saipan will host the 1st Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Golf Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 11, at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort west course.
The event will raise money to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii, which aids children with life-threatening health issues.
“This is for a really worthy cause for special needs kids of Guam, Saipan and Micronesia,” tournament chairman Ben Babauta said during a media conference at the McDonald’s office in Dandan.
The mission of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii is to provide a home away from home for seriously ill children and their families, and to develop other programs and partnerships aimed at improving the lives of children in the Pacific region.
Over the past 38 years, the house has helped more than 13,000 families from the Northern Marianas, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshalls, Palau and Hawaii.
Jose Ayuyu Sr., McDonald’s Guam-Saipan president, said: “This is something me and my wife have been thinking about for a very long time. We are so happy that we are finally going to see this thing come to life. This is something very important for our community.”
He said the plan is to make it an annual event. “At some point in the future we will share some of the funds raised with local non-profit organizations on Saipan and Guam,” he added.
He said the tournament may also help Saipan’s economy.
“The idea here is to have golfers from Guam to visit Saipan, spend a couple of days, enjoy our island and play golf at the same time,” Ayuyu added.
The golf tournament will be a one-day event with an 18-hole medal play format for A, B, C, Seniors, Super Seniors and Ladies categories.
The prizes are $500 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place with an entry fee of $120.
“We expect the participation of a maximum of 144 Guam and Saipan players so we can raise about $50,000,” Babauta said.
What makes this tournament unique is that each hole will have giveaways to fill up a player’s Ronald McDonald tote bag, he added.
As for the tournament sponsors, Babauta said they will play a vital part in helping deliver comfort and care to children and their families. The sponsorship levels are Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze, but anyone can donate any amount.
For more information, contact Ben Babauta at 439-2563, Das Krishnan at 483-6405, James Nelson at 483-4215 or Marcia Ayuyu at 235-8761.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Golf Tournament chairman Ben Babauta, Das Krishnan and James Nelson pose with McDonald’s officials that include president Jose Ayuyu Sr., vice president Joe Ayuyu Jr., owner/operator Marcia Ayuyu, marketing director Divina Evaristo and executive assistant to the president Mable Ayuyu-Glenn during a media conference at the McDonald’s office in Dandan.
