A day after celebrating their golden jubilee in June this year, I&M Bank Uganda announced a Shs20m donation, towards supporting the caddies and course maintenance staff of Entebbe Club.
This announcement was made during second edition of the I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series, and the donation was to support the school-going caddies, to help them stay in school, as well as the children of the caretakers of the course, who are mostly women.
During the third edition of the series held on Saturday, September 28, 2024, the Series custodians revealed that the money had been received in the Entebbe Club account.
“I can confirm the Shs20m is in the Entebbe Club account. Please join me to thank I&M Bank, for honoring their pledge to support our caddies and their families,” said Katogo Captain- Elly Mukasa.
I&M Bank CEO Robin Bairstow noted that the institution and Katogo are now one family, for, like Katogo, I&M Bank values partnerships that create an impact in societies.
“As you all remember, in June, we pledged to donate Shs 20m, to support school going caddies, as well as the course maintenance staff and their children. I’m happy to announce that we have honored our pledge,” Bairstow said, adding that he was happy that their relationship with the series stretching beyond the golf course and the 19th hole fun experiences, and impacting the community.
The donation is one of a series of other critical CSR initiatives that have seen I&M Bank extend financial support towards different causes.
“Yesterday (Friday September 27), we donated Shs20m towards the completion of the Nkozi Hospital accident and emergency center. The other week, we visited Masheruka Girls Secondary School in Sheema, and we handed over 16 full sets of computers, to improve and enhance the learning experience for the girls. As I&M Bank were happy to engage in initiatives that impact the communities where we operate, Bairstow added.
Annette Nakiyaga, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at I&M Bank, noted that giving back to the communities around them is a core part of the bank’s identity.
“It’s not just about business for us; it’s about creating meaningful change in the communities we serve. As a responsible institution, we believe in using our resources and influence to support education, health, and other areas that improve the quality of life. This commitment is at the heart of what we do and how we operate,” Nakiyaga said.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, over 180 golfers took to the greens to showcase golfing skills, as they competed for bragging rights in the Russian Chicago Stableford’ format.
The tournament was blessed with a downpour, which greatly improved the playing conditions of the Entebbe Golf course, but affected the playing time, with several players failing to finish the 18 holes.
It’s against that background that the management of series decided to consider only announce results from the front nine, to select and award winners.
The evening saw Callaway Girls and Catapult emerge as the winning teams in the ladies’ and men’s categories, respectively.
The former, comprising Dinah Ongol and Gloria Ihunde, beat the Serendipity team of Connie Nsemereirwe and Cathy Natukunda on countback after both teams returned 55 points, five points ahead of their followers, Fairway Zokka, comprising Edith Namalwa and Susan Acheng.
The men’s leaders, Denis Tela and Arthur Arinaitwe, posted 82 points. Team I&C, comprising Isiah Tugumenawe and Christopher Magezi, finished second with 57 points, Team AA, comprising of Allan Akira and Peter Atwiine, came third with 50 points, while Team Banca, comprising of Emmanuel Mwaka and David Wandera, beat Paul Kaheru and Peter Magona on countback (49 points), to finish fourth.
The winners of the daily online trivia questions leading up to the main event, were also rewarded with bottles of Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve, with some participants triumphing more than once, hence winning more.
The event was capped with old-school mixes from DJ Global, DJ Mark R, and DJ Selekta Herbo. Some golfers also challenged themselves on the decks, causing quite a stir as they showcased their hidden disc spinning talents, much to the crowd’s delight.
The series’ grand finale is slated for December 7 and will be played under the ‘Double Bogey Danger’ format.
The I&M Bank Katogo Golf Series is co-sponsored by Victoria Motors, Johnnie Walker, GA Insurance, Fenon Events, Goldman Furniture, and NBS Sport.
