Golf legend Gary Player donates $150,000 to foster-care, housing nonprofit in Martin County

Gianna Montesano, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·2 min read
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MARTIN COUNTY — Golf legend Gary Player toured the Place of Hope development site Tuesday, where an affordable-housing apartment will be named for his family following his foundation's $150,000 donation to the nonprofit.

The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation Apartment will be in one of four complexes in the Bender Family Village; each complex will have eight two-bedroom units, housing up to 64 people.

Place of Hope is a nonprofit focused on helping children aging out of the foster-care system, single mothers and advocates against human trafficking. The village is being built at 1490 SE Cove Road.

Gary Player (left) and Charles Bender III (right) pose with a $150,000 check from the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation on Aug. 22, at 1940 SE Cove Rd in Stuart, Fla.
Gary Player (left) and Charles Bender III (right) pose with a $150,000 check from the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation on Aug. 22, at 1940 SE Cove Rd in Stuart, Fla.

Who is Gary Player?

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Player became a professional golfer in 1953 and has 165 professional wins in his career. He was named Golf Champion of the Year by The Open, the oldest golf tournament in the world, in 1959, 1968 and 1974.

Player, a Jupiter Island resident of five years, sees this opportunity as invaluable to give back to local youth and combat childhood poverty.

"In this great country, one out of seven children live below the poverty line. The United States of America, the greatest country in the world, that actually happens," said Player, 87. "That is nothing to be very proud of."

In 2021, the Center for American Progress reported that one out of seven children, or nearly 11 million children, lives in poverty.

When will the village be complete?

The 11-acre Stuart campus for Place of Hope is beginning construction in the 1400 block of Southeast Cove Road for a village, or neighborhood, which is to be named after the nonprofit's founding CEO Charles Bender III and his family. Within the village will be four complexes of eight two-bedroom units each. The first of the four complexes is to be named for Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, his son, State Rep. John Snyder and the Snyder family.

The 11-acre campus is being built in three phases and will cost approximately $20 million. Construction is in the first two phases, costing the organization $11 million, according to Place of Hope spokesperson Thomas Tobin.

Snyder Family Complex: Stuart campus, complex for Place of Hope to be named for 3 who serve their community

The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation Apartment should be open by next year, officials said.

"We should have permits within a couple more months," said CEO Charles Bender III. "We should have the ability to ... go back in and get a few more, then actually start the underground construction. So we hope this time next year, we'll have the building done and ready to go."

Charles Bender III (left) and Gary Player (right) tour the Snyder Family Complex under renovation at the Place of Hope's Bender Family Village on Aug. 22, at 1940 SE Cove Rd in Stuart, Fla.
Charles Bender III (left) and Gary Player (right) tour the Snyder Family Complex under renovation at the Place of Hope's Bender Family Village on Aug. 22, at 1940 SE Cove Rd in Stuart, Fla.

Making an impact

Community involvement is crucial for Player, who wants to make a mark on the world while he's alive.

"I'm not a great believer in legacies," Player said. "I mean, I've got one of the three best golf records of any man that's ever lived, but I don't think of legacies. I think about doing something while you are here."

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on Twitter @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Gary Player donates to Place of Hope, has apartment complex named for him