A charity golf day held on Friday 20th May saw 18 local business teams play it forward to raise ?6,095.

Held at Castletown Golf Club, 18 teams took to the course in an AM-AM competition. The round of golf included an exciting ‘wild ball’, awarding double points along the course. But if a team lost their wild ball/s they received a penalty, donating ?20 to the event’s charity.

Despite the windy and, at times, wet conditions, all golfers were in high spirits around the course. With an excellent round, Black Grace Cowley were crowned the winners with 125 points, followed by The Runaway Birdies (an all-female team) in second with 122 points, and SMP coming third (118 points). Other teams taking part were the Barbarians, Blonde Barbarians, MAC Financial, Derivco Isle of Man, Continent 8, AON, Faded Stars, KPMG, Weapons of Grass Destruction, Simcocks, Barclays, IQE, SMP 2, Newfield and Microgaming.

Spot prizes on the day were awarded for the nearest pin on the 8th, 13th and 16th holes, longest drive on the 12th, and a hole in one competition on the 16th. BMW Buchanan kindly supported this, offering the hole in one prize, a brand new Mini One, along with a nearest the pin prize, a courtesy BMW for a weekend. Nobody managed the hole in one, but Errol Larson of Derivco Isle of Man took the nearest pin award.

Once their round was complete, teams headed to the clubhouse for some food (and to dry off!), where the prize presentation was made with the help of the IOM MS Society. With Microgaming covering all event costs, the amount raised from entry fees and wild ball penalties for the Isle of Man charity was a fantastic ?6,095.

Derek Patience, Chairman of the IOM branch MS Society, comments: “We’re very thankful to Microgaming and all the local businesses who took part in this golf day which has raised an incredible ?6,000 for our charity. This year represents the 40th anniversary of the Isle of Man MS branch and to help celebrate, the Society will be holding an MS Awareness Event at the BEST WESTERN Palace Hotel on 18 June 2016.

“The Society is very active in the local community, funding an MS Welfare Officer and providing five different tailored exercise classes each week. We offer grants to help offset the cost of essential home modifications, such as the installation of ramps or a wet room, as well as specialised equipment, such as mobility scooters. We also fund regular social events such as quarterly lunches and monthly coffee mornings, so our overall running costs are substantial. The money raised from this Charity Golf Day will be put to great use.”

Claire Coleman, Head of Microgaming PlayItForward, adds: “This is the second time we’ve organised a Charity Golf Day and we couldn’t be more pleased with how the event went. The weather didn’t dampen spirits and everyone seemed to have an enjoyable round of golf, whilst importantly raising money for a great local charity. A big thank you to everyone involved in making the event a success.”

For more details on the MS Society branch or Awareness Day, please contact Derek Patience via email derekpatience@hotmail.com or call 480755.