SHARPSHOOTERS! - Who Shot Ya?
Posted by mrwendell @ 9:22pm on Wednesday August 19, 2009.
I had the pleasure of attending Alonzo Mourning's Million Dollar Shootout at Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, NY on August 18th.
Playing with my boys Byron Kirkland and Chuck Bone is always a blast. Anthony Anderson was supposed to be our fourth, but had to back out last minute do to a work commitment. The event benefits Alonzo Mourning Charities.
Zo's Million Dollar Shootout has been a staple golf outing for the past five years, where golfers not only come out to compete for the chance at one million dollars but also to support the programs of Alonzo Mourning Charities. The foundation empowers and educates today's youth through various enrichment services that help further stimulate the educational development children residing in low socioeconomic communities.
Many of Alonzo's supporters and personal friends supported his fundraising efforts that day including "The Donald" himself. Dwayne Wade, Ben Gordon, Kenny Lofton, John Starks, Herb Williams, Lawrence Taylor, Ron Harper and many other notables were in attendance.
Alonzo is a great guy and gives very unselfishly of his time, resources and money. He really loves the game and it has been a delight to get to know him through our mutual friend Melvin Roane and the wonderful game of golf.
Keep up the great work Zo and Keep It In The Fairway Baby!
Original Tee Goes to the United Nations
Posted by mrwendell @ 4:48pm on Tuesday July 15, 2008.
I was recently invited to be a speaker on a panel at the World Diversity Leadership Summit on July 11th at the United Nations.
The topic of the panel I participated in was Global Diversity, Gender and Sports. I have to thank Mark Szollar (Managing Director, NY Times Play Magazine) for inviting me to be on the panel with such distinguished and accomplished guests. I had the great pleasure to be on the panel with Dr. Richard Lapchick who is a human rights activist and pioneer for racial equality and an internationally recognized ωexpert on sports issues, Awasum Junior, Founder and CEO of the African Baseball Network, Wendy Lewis, VP of Strategic Planning Recruitment and Diversity at Major League Baseball and Max Siegel, President of Global Operations at Dale Earnhardt Racing.
We discussed some of the major issues and trends and concerns in our respective industries that pertain to diversity, inclusion and progress.
Dr. Lapchick opened by commenting on the percentages of top level minority executives and employees in the various professional sports. The statistics in the mainstream sports are very low except at the NBA where the diversity statistics reflect a more fair policy of diversity and inclusion. Dr. Lapchick did not include those statistics as they relate to the PGA and the golf industry which I would wager to say are probably the lowest of them all.
Max Siegel talked about some of the challenges and the approach DER takes to promote one of NASCAR's most popular franchises.
I commented on my fairly recent trip to South Africa and what Original Tee is doing to promote diversity, inclusion and the love of golf in the African American community.
It was an invaluable experience and a once again a thrill for me to discuss golf and sports with such distinguished thought leaders from around the world.
Bye George. I think I've got it!
Posted by mrwendell @ 3:51pm on Saturday April 26, 2008.
My final day in George was an eye opener and a treat. After spending my previous days living the life of a golf dignitary and seeking all things aesthetically beautiful at Fancourt and the surrounding areas, I was offered the opportunity to see how the ordinary people of George live. These are the people that the South African Golf Summit speakers and panelists affectionately called “the previously disadvantaged people of South Africa”. My new friends Cathy and her husband Kelvin were kind enough to request the help of Clive to take me around to get a true understanding of who these people are, what they do and what their thoughts are.
Our first stop was a brief ride up the Outeniqua Mountain which surrounds George to the Montagu Pass which is passage way to the other side of the mountan. We stopped at an old structure that used to be a toll house in the mid 1800’s. The pass through the mountain was built entirely with convict labor and engineered by Henry Fancourt White.
Our next stop was into the shanty community in the hills that overlook George. Lodged in what would otherwise be prime real estate with mountain views overlooking the valley this area is called Varkplass (or pig farm) and is home to some of the disadvantaged people of the area. The government has provided minimal housing structures for the people to reside in and many of them have been independently added on to and others have been self-erected with scant materials.
While in the area Clive introduced me to two young men that were busy doing handy work, a group of women doing daily laundry chores and we peeked into the home of a craftsman named Andrew which was quite impressive.
In summation these were ordinary people like the rest of us, trying to make it. Human beings produced by the society in which they live hoping for opportunity and a better tomorrow.
– “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is a protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. We accord a person dignity by assuming that they are good, that they share the human qualities we ascribe to ourselves.” - Nelson Mandela
Next we visited the health clinic that serves the people of George, a pre-school and last a grade school for the children. The 3 administrators of these 3 different facilities and learning institutions willingly and enthusiastically took time out to explain the mission, purpose and challenges of their institutions. They all serve their community well and have tough challenges but the pre-school children of Blanco Creche particularly moved me because they really represent what is possible in the future. Children born post 1994 (after the rule of Apartheid) who should be able to fully benefit from the intentions of the new South Africa.
From these visits I can see there is hope for a better and brighter futures for the children. Successes are celebrated and educational development is appropriately seen as the way to advancement. No one is looking to be “given” anything except maybe an opportunity to build a future out of what they have. To encourage the children to live driven by their destiny and not haunted by their past.
- “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. Education is the great engine of personal development. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. There are few misfortunes in the world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill.” - all quotes of Nelson Mandela
Cathy and Kelvin completed my morning by taking me to lunch at their daughters café and juice bar called SO delicious in town and then returned me to Fancourt where I had my wrap up meeting with Berenice.
The time here seemed to fly in retrospect. Every minute of my time was filled with activity. My time in George was fulfilling and an education on many levels. In my pursuit of my passion for golf and the good life I feel that my trip to South Africa and Fancourt has provided me an opportunity to advance my dream. But more importantly it has reminded me that success should always be measured by how I will be able to help others.
– I hoped that my life might offer me the opportunity to serve my people and make my own humble contribution to their freedom struggle. For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. I am not particularly religious or spiritual; I am just an ordinary person trying to make sense of the mysteries of life. - Nelson Mandela
I will continue to optimistically move forward with rejuvenated determination and will look forward to the next time I see all the new friends I made during this trip to South Africa.
Until next time, bye George ………………………
