The Tribune

RBC Royal Bank held its 3rd Annual RBC Client Appreciation & Invitational Golf Tournament on March 20. Participants, including RBC clients and business partners, enjoyed a day of exciting golf and friendly competition on the Ocean Club Golf Course.

RBC established the tournament as a way to thank clients and make a significant impact on local charities.

RBC and tournament participants scored a hole-in-one at this year’s tournament as it raised $23,000 for The Ranfurly Home.

Immediately following the tournament, participants were hosted to an awards dinner.

Suresh Sookoo, chief executive officer of Caribbean Banking, took a moment to express RBC’s appreciation to each participant for attending the event and for their business and support during the past year.

While speaking to the attendees, Mr Sookoo reiterated RBC’s commitment “to customer satisfaction and to making a positive social impact in the communities we serve.”

“The RBC Client Appreciation & Invitational Golf Tournament allows us to merge our commitment to client and community, providing a platform for persons to ‘have fun while doing good’.”

Brian Knowles, vice president of corporate banking and tournament organiser, explained that the tournament has been a great vehicle for RBC to extend further support to the community.

“Since the tournament’s inception, RBC has donated over $60,000.00 to local charities. Each year a local charity is selected based on the focus of the charity’s work and its ability to strengthen the social fabric of the Bahamas. 100 per cent of the proceeds from this year’s tournament will go directly to the Ranfurly Home for Children,” he said.

Alexander Roberts, administrator at The Ranfurly Home for Children, received the donation on behalf of the home during the awards dinner.

The Ranfurly Home was established in 1956 and provides a haven for hundreds of Bahamian children who are orphaned or find themselves alone in the world.

Roberts expressed his gratitude on behalf of the children for the generous donation. “We’re extremely grateful to RBC and all of the golfers. This event illustrates RBC’s commitment to partnering with the community to make a difference. The children we care for are faced with many challenges and this support could not have come at a better time.”

This year the event drew more than 60 golfers. Teams competed in a four-person scramble format with awards going to the first through third place team finishers, the longest drive, and closest to the pin winners.

During the awards dinner, winners were announced in five categories:

First Place winners: Katherine Elza; Dr. Patti Symonette; Kelly Kerr and Daphne Haines-Burrows

Second Place winners: Ian Hepburn; N Leroy Smith; Justin Coble and Christopher Jackson

Third Place winners: Oswald Moore; Andrew O’Brien; Michael Unwin and Dr Hank Coleman

Longest Drive: David Slatter and Daphne Haines-Burrows

Closest to the Pin: Katherine Elza and Michael Unwin

Raffle winner: Felix Stubbs won an autographed Ernie Els golf bag