Christel House raise money for social cause

This year's edition of Christel House Open golf is to raise money for education of underprivileged children witnessed both corporates and celebrities teeing off at the Karnataka Golf Association golf course.

The event is to be held as part of the global Christel House Open where it will be played simultaneously in 20 golf courses across 11 countries spanning five continents and 20 time zones.

In India, the tournament is being played at the Pune Golf Club in Poona and the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon besides the KGA, Bangalore.

"The KGA course enjoys the distinction of being the venue where the first tee off of the Christel House Open 2005 will take place. The ball used for the tee off will then be packed and sent by FedEx, one of the supporting sponsors of the event, to Hawaii where the concluding putt will be made, bringing the curtain down on the event", said Frank Koster, Managing Director and CEO, ING Vysya Life Insurance, which is a key sponsor.

The entire proceeds of the golf tourney will be given to children of Christel House "� an international charity focused on helping impoverished, orphaned and abandoned children to break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient and contributing members of society.

The Christel House Open witnessed celebrities from various fields including singer-actor Lucky Ali and Bollywood star Jackie Shroff.

Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, who is a brand ambassador and one of the key supporters to this cause, will accompany the winners to the United States, courtesy British Airways.

"ING Vysya believes in the potential of every child. What we like about the Christel House program is that it addresses issues of poverty at the core. The children are given an opportunity to blossom, and only with overall development can poverty be eradicated," said Frank Koster.

ING Vysya has been associated with Christel House through events and child sponsorship programmes since 2002, with involvements from various board members and senior managers.

The winning team from the combined sites of the June tournament will qualify to compete for the world title in the third annual Christel House Open World Championship. The competition will be held on 12th and 13th September 2005 in Indianapolis, Indiana.