11th annual RCI Christel House Open hosts 14 sites worldwide

Friday, June 7, 2013

Indianapolis, Ind. - The 11th annual RCI Christel House Open charity golf tournament kicked off on May 18 and runs through June 17. This year, golfers will gather at 14 sites worldwide to raise funds and awareness for Christel House. Tournament sites include:

Boonville, NY: hosted by Lodging Kit Company
Branson, MO: co- hosted by Bluegreen Vacations and Wyndham Vacation Ownership
Cape Town, South Africa: hosted by Christel House
Daytona Beach, FL: hosted by Bluegreen Vacations
Edwards, CO: co-hosted by The Christie Lodge and Breckenridge Grand Vacations
Gatlinburg, TN: hosted by Bluegreen Vacations
Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire, England: co- hosted by RCI Europe, Nexus Leisure and Christel House
Indianapolis, IN: hosted by Christel House
Kissimmee, FL: hosted by Holiday Inn Vacations - Orange Lake Resort
Mexico City, Mexico: hosted by RCI Latin America and Christel House
Myrtle Beach, SC: co-hosted by Sun Hospitality, Bluegreen Vacations and Festiva Resorts
Palm Beach Gardens, FL: hosted by Bluegreen Vacations
Vista, CA: hosted by Grand Pacific Resorts
Williamsburg, VA: hosted by GOODMANagement, Oyster Point Rotary and the Virginia Resort Developers Association

“The Christel House Open is our largest annual fundraising event, and 100% of its proceeds will be used to transform the lives of impoverished children,” said Christel House Founder, Christel DeHaan. “I salute our volunteers, players and sponsors for their competitive spirit, sense of social responsibility and commitment to helping make the world a better place.”

With the theme ‘Driving out Poverty’, more than 1,500 golfers, sponsors and volunteers around the world will participate in this year’s tournament.

Global sponsors of the 2013 tournament include: title sponsor Resort Condominiums International (RCI) and the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), Bluegreen Vacations, Convergys, FedEx, Harding Poorman Group, Northern Trust, Perspective International and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Since the tournament’s inception in 2003, more than $7.5 million has been raised. One hundred percent of the proceeds directly benefit the children of Christel House. No donations are used for overhead or fundraising expenses.

For more information about the RCI Christel House Open, please contact Becky Arnett at barnett@christelhouse.org or by phone at (317) 464-2009.

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About Christel House International

Christel House International (CHI) is transforming how kids, their families and future generations permanently escape poverty. Much more than a school, CHI was established in 1998 by founder Christel DeHaan and currently serves over 4,000 impoverished children around the world. By providing high quality education, nutritious meals, regular health care, character and life skills development, and career counseling, CHI helps students grow into confident, hardworking and ethical young adults who give back to their families and communities. CHI operates five learning centers in India, Mexico, South Africa and the U.S.A., as well as a career development program in Venezuela. For more information, please visit www.christelhouse.org.