SIC Esperança, a not-for-profit organisation founded in 2003 with the main aim of raising awareness of social problems affecting Portugal, has been appointed the Official Charity of the 2015 Portugal Masters.
Affiliated to Impresa, one of Portugal’s largest media companies, SIC Esperança establishes partnerships with other not-for-profit organisations to raise money towards, and monitor the implementation of, social projects which contribute towards a fairer and more equal society.
Over the past 12 years, SIC Esperança has participated in more than 550 humanitarian campaigns; raised more than €5 million; developed partnerships with 165 companies; worked in conjunction with 906 charities; and helped approximately 65,000 people.
Peter Adams, Championship Director of the Portugal Masters, said: “We are delighted to welcome SIC Esperança as the Official Charity of the Portugal Masters. The work they do in conjunction with other not-for-profit organisations across the country makes a real difference to people’s lives, and I would ask anyone attending the Portugal Masters to contribute to this very worthy cause.
“The Portugal Masters has developed a strong annual tradition of raising funds for both local and national Portuguese charities, most recently supporting Make-A-Wish last year and ACCA Kids in 2013. The tournament officials, players and the public all join together in recognising the importance of giving back.”
Mercedes Balsamao, President of Sic Esperança, said: “It is a great honour for SIC Esperança to have been invited by The European Tour to be the Official Charity of the Portugal Masters. As someone who regularly plays and watches golf, I’m particularly proud of the partnership between The European Tour and SIC Esperança.
“As the tournament takes place in the Algarve we chose a local project, ‘Ouvir a Dança’, as the main beneficiary. The goal of this project is to fight against academic failure through the arts, mainly music and dance.
“Over the space of eight months, 20 ‘at-risk’ children between the ages of six and 12 will have the opportunity to participate in artistic activities as a way of promoting regular exercise. When played properly golf has the rhythm and beauty of dance, which is another reason why we chose the ‘Ouvir a Dança’ project to receive support from the Portugal Masters.”
The fundraising will start next Wednesday, when each professional will donate their Pro-Am appearance fee to the Official Charity with the funds being matched by The European Tour’s charitable arm, the Tour Players Foundation. In the region of €8,000 is expected to be raised through this initiative.
Throughout the week, spectators will be asked to make a donation to the SIC Esperança project – of €1 and €3 respectively – in return for a daily draw sheet or official programme. Each donor will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a place in the 2016 Portugal Masters Pro-Am. Again, all donations will also be matched by the Tour Players Foundation.
Impresa owns one free-to-air TV channel and several cable channels, newspapers, magazines and internet sites. The company provides SIC Esperança with accounting, marketing, HR and legal services, and advertises its projects and awareness campaigns through the group’s TV network and print media outlets free of charge.
