GOLFING FOR A CAUSE

Mon, Sep 5, '11

St. John’s, Antigua – September 05, 2011: One of the highlights of the INET International Pairs, organised by Golf Experience Caribbean, is the fund raising Auction held during the prize giving cocktail and this year’s recipient will be former West Indies and Windward Islands cricketer, Winston Davis.

Davis became a tetraplegic following a tragic accident in 1998 and in a recent interview he stated that the accident was not the end of his life: “"People come to me and say how you coping and I say I am not coping, I am living. You go from crying to living," he says. He recalls the early days after the accident: "I cried every day. I used to bawl like a cow. I believe God used my tears to wash away my sorrows. Can I test that scientifically? No, but I believe that."

And although he is wheel chair bound he is actively involved as a disability activist with his local council and various committees, this and his strong faith keep him believing that one day he will walk away from his wheelchair.

His drive and passion is shared by his fellow cricketers including Sir Vivian Richards who has donated a personal item to be auctioned, as well as celebrity guest pair, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes. It is this golf and cricket connection that makes the INET International Pairs, organised by Golf Experience Caribbean (the regional franchise holders for International Pairs) so special as explained by Zorol Barthley, CEO Golf Experience: “every year we look to give back to the community and even though Winston is not based here he is part of the wider cricket fraternity and his contribution to the sport that we love cannot go unnoticed. He played with and against the giants of the games including our guest celebrity pair, Greenidge and Haynes; he actually made his test debut at the ARG in 1983. The work he is doing also highlights that life does not end even when one is physically incapacitated.”

And for the first year the general public will have an opportunity to help raise funds by participating in a putting competition: “We want to encourage the general public to come on out and watch the golf, and non golfing persons who want to try their hand at putting can pay EC$10 per ball and the person who either sinks the ball or gets the ball nearest to the hole will win a prizes compliments of Colombian Emeralds. All the monies raised from this will go towards the Winston Davis fundraiser.” This will take place straight after the completion of the main competiton.

The INET International Pairs 2011 will take place on Saturday, September 10 at the Cedar Valley Golf Course and the first pair will tee off at 8:30AM.

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