THE CHARITABLE CHIELS’ TEXAS SCRAMBLE

A CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE IN A GOOD CAUSE
The Charitable Chiels are a group of lads, from Ballater, Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, who, since 2001, have worked tirelessly to raise much funds in aid of their local community.
On June 11, 2010, they will be holding a Texas Scramble Charity Golf Day, hosted by Ballater Golf Club, with almost 75 teams of players competing for the Sandy Barclay Memorial Jug. This very popular, all-day event not only raises funds for local causes, but has the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Research at Edinburgh University, as the main beneficiary.
In 2003, Sandy Barclay, who was secretary of Ballater Golf Club, started this Charity Golf Day to raise funds in aid of MND sufferers. In 2005, to make sure of its continued success, he joined forces with the well-respected Chiels, but in 2008, he passed away, after having lived with MND for six years.
Recently, the MND Research Centre kindly set up a Memorial Fund in his name. Since 2003, thanks to peoples’ generosity and assistance, this yearly golf event has raised over £175,000. Quite an achievement for a wee village!
Readers may like to know that apart from receiving many other generous auction items, The Chiels have two special Masters’ items to be auctioned at this event. They have secured a ‘once in a life-time offer’ of, A Package for Two people, which includes; much sought-after Tickets for the US Masters in April, 2011 for the last two days of the Tournament (when the famous Green Jacket gets presented), five nights' accommodation (twin-bedded room on a B & B basis) at a Marriot Hotel (or similar) in Columbia, two rounds of golf, over 2 days in an organised Competition, full hospitality at Augusta’s Northwood Club and from Airport to Hotel and to Course transfers (Please note that Flights are not included).
The reserve price for this unique item is £6,000.
For all of you Vijay Singh fans, The Chiels have yet another unique Item for Sale . Peter Alliss, the well-known Golf Commentator, has kindly donated and signed, from his own Private Collection, an original set of Score Sheets from when Vijay Singh won The Masters 2000 (a very important year).
Each set of the six sheets accurately depicts, for all four rounds, the scores of all of the Players. The score sheets, never having been copied before, must surely be of value to a Vijay Singh or Peter Alliss fan. The Chiels have also had them reduced in size (still to be framed).
The reserve price is a very modest £300.
The Charitable Chiels hope that the Masters’ items are of interest to folks out there and if anyone would like to place a bid for either of them, prior to the Charity Day, on the 11th June, please contact Andrew Thain on 07752532864 or E-mail your bid through to andy@distillery.freeserve.co.uk