Diamond Resorts Brian Gay Invitational Raises $805,000

Diamond Resorts International announced that its second annual Brian Gay Invitational raised a grand total of $805,000. Proceeds from the invitational will go to the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children (FHFC).

Since the inaugural tournament in 2013, Diamond Resorts International^® has raised over $1.2 million to benefit the FHFC. This year’s philanthropy was held on December 12–14, 2014 at the Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida. Our parent company, Vacation Innovations, supported the tournament through our rental brand, ResortRentals.com. As a major sponsor, ResortRentals.com also participated in the amateaur/celebrity golf tournament.

Over 400 guests attended the invitational including golfers, athletes, and celebrities. The event began on Thursday at Isleworth Country Club with a musical performance from country music star Colt Ford.

On Saturday, Diamond held the amateur/celebrity golf tournament. Here, foursomes were matched with a celebrity to compete for the title. This year’s celebrities included hall of fame athletes such as Eric Dickerson, Reggie Jackson, Marcus Allen, Gaylord Perry, and Richard Dent. The ResortRentals.com team played with Carl Paulson, a ten year veteran on the PGA tour. Paulson also hosts “Inside the Ropes,” a golf-themed Sirius XM radio show.

The team played very well, shooting 13 under and finishing in 2nd place with a score of 59. The foursome came close to claiming the top prize, narrowly missing 1st place by a single stroke.

The weekend’s biggest event, the Diamond Resorts Celebrity Invitational, took place on Sunday, December 14th. The celebrity winner was John Smoltz, a former pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. Smoltz shot a 74 and was honored at the gala dinner that evening. The champion of the PGA Tour Division was JB Holmes. This team also won the 2014 Wells Fargo Championship earlier this year.

Diamond’s PGA touring professional, Brian Gay shared, “Once again Diamond Resorts International^® has exceeded all expectations and delivered an unforgettable experience. Flawless from start to finish, this weekend was truly a world-class event all for the sake of a very worthy cause. I am proud to lend my name and support this charitable effort.”

Diamond Resorts also provided activities for the families of the participants. During the invitational, families were invited to spend a day at one of the Orlando theme parks, and/or attend a lunch catered by celebrity chef Art Smith.

Executive VP, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Michael Flaskey said,

“At Diamond Resorts, social responsibility is a pillar of our company’s core values, and it is our privilege to be able to give back to the local communities in which we work and live. The Brian Gay Invitational gives us an amazing opportunity to engage in our charitable efforts while also doing what we do best: helping our guests Stay Vacationed^™ while creating lifelong memories. We appreciate everyone who took time out of their busy holiday season to be a part of this event. With the tremendous generosity of our celebrities, golfers and sponsors we were able to not only achieve our goal, but go well beyond our expectations.”

Thank you to Diamond Resorts International and Brian Gay for hosting such a successful event.