Gary Player - The Legend

The Big Three Reunite To Help Chidren In Need

Feb 12, 2010 | Filed Under: General NewsThe Player Foundation   

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL – Historic Mountain Mission School in Grundy, VA, which has sheltered and educated an estimated 20,000 needy children over its 87 years, will receive substantial support this year from a fundraising event featuring three of golf’s legendary figures.

Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, who dominated the 1960s and 1970s as golf’s “The Big Three,” will reunite June 8 at The Olde Farm Golf Club in Bristol, VA to help raise money for the school, which operates totally from private donations. This certainly won’t be a normal charity event … it is expected to raise more than $12 million and help establish a sustained endowment for Mountain Mission School.

The Big Three for the Mountain Mission Kids Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, sanctioned by the PGA TOUR, was organized by Grundy native Jim McGlothlin, founder of The Olde Farm and a longtime benefactor of the school. It will involve a 19-hole scramble beginning at 1 p.m., concluding with a presentation ceremony on the 19th hole.

“The game of golf doesn’t get any better than this, and neither does fundraising,” said McGlothlin, a member of the PGA TOUR Golf Course Properties Advisory Board. “We are more than fortunate to have this trio of golf legends come to Bristol – and to have them playing to benefit the kids at Mountain Mission is very special. The day itself will be memorable, but the impact on this community of less-advantaged children in Grundy will be long-lasting, I can assure you.”

“The Big Three for the Mountain Mission Kids event complements the PGA TOUR’s historical commitment to charity and our new initiative, ‘Together, anything’s possible,” says PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem.  “Last year the PGA TOUR – through our tournaments, sponsors, players and volunteers – raised $108 million for charity, and this is just part of an even greater effort this year.”

Player, Palmer, and Nicklaus have symbolized excellence off the golf course as well as on, each having successful charitable foundations that have helped millions of individuals, mostly youth. Now, they are getting together to help an institution that has a history of remarkable successes and inspirational stories.

“This is a shining example of how golf is such an effective means of raising money for worthy charities and organizations,” Nicklaus said. “The fact that in a single day, we will be able to raise upwards of $12 million is truly remarkable. Charity has always been a fundamental part of the PGA TOUR, and the three of us take great pride in the work our foundations have done. I’m pleased to take part in this event and to help Mountain Mission School.”

“I very much look forward to getting back together with Jack and Gary on the golf course for such a great cause,” Palmer said. “When Jim presented the idea and explained what Mountain Mission School has accomplished, I became very interested in helping out. It will be a lot of fun and, most importantly, will help deserving children for years to come.”

“What a pleasure it will be to play with Arnold and Jack again in the name of charity, which is so important to each of us,” Player said. “We have been very fortunate to make a career of playing golf, and take great pride in giving something back through the foundations we have established. Each of us has focused on helping children in need, so helping Mountain Mission School is a natural extension of these efforts.” 

Mountain Mission School is a non-profit institution that has 230 resident students ages 18 months to 20 years, attending a private school made of grades pre-kindergarten through 12. In recent years, more than 90 percent of the schools graduates have enrolled in colleges.

The campus has grown from a single building when it opened in 1921 to the campus it is today, with an educational building, vocational and fine arts building, campus chapel, administration building and three separate residences for girls, four residences for boys and a toddler hall for boys and girls under the age of seven.

“We accept any child with a legitimate need, whether it relates to economics, abuse, family emergencies, home stability or other issues,” says Cynthia Rodda, president of Mountain Mission School. “Our school offers love, acceptance and a great educational opportunity for as long as necessary. I can’t begin to explain how grateful the staff at Mountain Mission School is to Mr. McGlothlin, The Olde Farm and all those participating in the fundraiser.”

A one-hour special about the Mountain Mission School and The Big Three for the Mountain Mission Kids will air Sunday, July 10 from 2-3:00 p.m. ET prior to the final-round telecast of the PGA TOUR’s John Deere Classic on

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