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Couples golf tourney raises millions for primary school

Published:Wednesday | January 18, 2023 | 12:52 AMAinsley Walters/Gleaner Writer
Three Hills Primary students (from left) Zayne Harris, Sariah Peart and Kavar Davis display a symbolic cheque worth $2.2 million, raised at Sunday’s Couples Resorts Ocho Rios Charity Golf Tournament at Sandals Golf and Country Club. Behind them (from le
Contributed
Three Hills Primary students (from left) Zayne Harris, Sariah Peart and Kavar Davis display a symbolic cheque worth $2.2 million, raised at Sunday’s Couples Resorts Ocho Rios Charity Golf Tournament at Sandals Golf and Country Club. Behind them (from left) are: Glenn Lawrence, organiser and Couples Resorts CEO; Slean Harris, principal, Three Hills Primary; Alexandria Ghisays, group public relations manager, Couples Resorts; Darragh Fitzgerald Selby, general manager, Digicel Business, and Jason Saunders, assistant general manager, corporate banking, National Commercial Bank.

GOLF CONTINUES to significantly impact the St Ann/St Mary hotel belt with Couples Resorts scoring another hole-in-one on Sunday by raising $2.2 million for Three Hills Primary School at its 21st annual Ocho Rios charity tournament held at Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, St Mary.

A three-way tie on 63 in the two-man scramble saw better back nines determining winners and runners-up in net and gross scores after 80 players completed 18 holes on the par-71 course.

The home-course pair of Oshane Haye and Zandre Roye emerged gross-score runners-up (63) behind Nick Tassoni and Raymond Rhudd (63).

Carlysle and Diane Hudson (63) were net-score winners over Robert Chin and Mike Gleichman (64.5).

Slean Harris, principal of Three Hills Primary, Prospect, St Mary, a perennial beneficiary of Couples’ Ocho Rios charity tournaments, said the institution was “blessed” to have the resort on board as a benefactor.

“We’re blessed and thankful for what Couples has been doing, which preceded my seven years at the school,” Harris pointed out, thanking tournament sponsors such as Digicel, National Commercial Bank, Fraser Fontaine & Kong, Guardian Group, Iron Rock Insurance and Insurance Company of the West Indies for partnering with the resort.

The 2022 tournament, returning after a two-year-break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, raised $2.3 million, which was used to construct a multipurpose classroom.

This year’s proceeds will be used to tile the classroom, which Harris described as a continuation of Couples’ community-building.

The previous tournament, 2019, Couples used proceeds to convert a container at the school into a state-of-the-art computer lab with 10 new computers at an approximate cost of $3.7 million.

Darragh Fitzgerald Selby, general manager, Digicel Business, who doubled as player while representing main sponsor, Digicel, affirmed his company’s commitment to the tournament.

“It’s a pleasure to play in this event on a fantastic course. I must say thanks to Couples for its continuation of the tournament and its commitment to the community,” he said.

Leon Lue won Closest to the Pin on hole four. Closest to the Pin on hole seven was won by Paul Chin. Sedwick Gordon won Closest to the Pin, hole 11 whereas Roy Hume took hole 15.