The 2016 Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup will be hosted at Valiente Polo Farm in Palm Beach, Florida on Wednesday 4 May. The annual fundraising event will raise money for Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, which supports vulnerable children and young people living with HIV in Lesotho in southern Africa.
Luxury Scotch whisky Royal Salute proudly partners with Sentebale for the sixth time on the annual polo cup. Royal Salute was created in 1953 in tribute to the British crown and since has a longstanding association with royalty and royal values and so is a fitting partner for Sentebale, a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso in memory of their mothers in 2006. Sentebale delivers care, support and education to children affected by extreme poverty and Lesotho’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.
In 2015, Sentebale opened the ‘Mamohato Children’s Centre in Lesotho, a purpose-built facility to support all of the charity’s work with vulnerable children, and specifically to host camps delivering psychosocial support to 1,500 HIV-positive young people each year. The money and awareness raised from The Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup will enable the Sentebale to transform thousands more young lives – if children with HIV are educated about the virus, they not only learn about their condition but also can educate their peers about the disease, enlightening a generation and leading the way to ending the AIDS epidemic.
Cathy Ferrier, CEO, Sentebale commented “Great progress has been made over the past few decades to reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, however adolescents with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa remain the most at risk. The Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup is invaluable in allowing us raise vital funds needed to support these young people, and helps us talk about an issue that urgently needs attention. We are extremely proud to work with Royal Salute on the polo cup and together we are making a difference to thousands of young lives.”
Sophie Gallois, Global Marketing Director, Chivas Brothers – brand owner of Royal Salute commented “Sentebale is a remarkable charity for Royal Salute to support. We have a long and deep connection to polo and this event is the highlight of our World Polo Calendar. Polo is one of the oldest team sports and this event is a symbol of how companies and charities can work together and have a positive impact across countries and communities to raise money and awareness to help tackle and contain the HIV/AIDs epidemic.”
The Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup 2016 will take place at Valiente Polo Farm by invitation only. There will be three teams taking part in a round robin tournament. Prince Harry will lead the Sentebale ISPS Handa team, playing against Argentine polo player and Sentebale Ambassador, Nachos Figueras and Royal Salute’s World Polo Ambassador Malcolm Borwick. Royal Salute will host distinguished guests and raise an official toast to Prince Harry and players while enjoying exhibition polo at its finest.
The Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup 2016 is supported by ISPS Handa, Valiente Polo Farm, American Airlines, USPA and Merchant Hub.
Royal Salute has a global programme of polo sponsorship covering four continents. The whisky’s involvement with polo is founded on the game’s principles of honour, skill, integrity and respect where the greatest players are masters of their craft; qualities which blend perfectly with Royal Salute.
