Enjoyed your listen? Let us know!
Every act of kindness can be the ripple that creates a wave of change, and that's the heart of our conversation with Amanda-Leigh Player Hall and Ben Goldman from the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation. As we unwrap the story behind their $75,000 matching challenge, we delve into the collective power of our community that turned it into a stunning $150,000 gift for Place of Hope. Amanda and Ben's passion echoes through their commitment to providing sanctuaries for at-risk children, a mission that resonates deeply Place of Hope's mission and the importance of nurturing environments where these young souls can flourish. Their vision is a testament to the legacy of Gary Player, not just as a golf legend, but as a beacon of positivity and holistic wellbeing.
Our discussion traverses the landscape of poverty and its proximity to wealth, a reminder of the work that remains to be done. Charles Bender and Jamie Bond Ciancio with Amanda-Leigh Player Hall and Ben Goldman engage in a thought-provoking conversation about the role strategic philanthropy plays in breaking the relentless cycles of poverty, concentrating our efforts on stable housing, which is paramount in keeping families together and preventing children from entering foster care. The juxtaposition of luxury and lack serves as an urgent call for awareness and continued action in our society.
As the episode unfolds, hope and mentorship emerge as powerful sculptors of tomorrow for vulnerable youths. We celebrate the unwavering influence of Gary Player, who at 89, sows seeds of hope with his lifelong dedication to service and giving. The future of philanthropy, strategies for sustaining a legacy that goes beyond the realm of sports, and the importance of transparency and financial stewardship are all woven into our narrative. Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to our cause, this episode reinforces the notion that every contribution lays another stone on the path to a better future for our children. Join us in honoring the spirits of service and legacy, and let's continue to uplift these voices that champion our youth.
Takeaways
- The Gary and Vivian Player Foundation is dedicated to helping underprivileged and vulnerable children by providing support in education, health, and housing.
- Breaking intergenerational poverty requires a hand up, not just a handout, by surrounding children with positive influences and opportunities for future success.
- Love, relationships, and hope are essential in making a lasting impact on children's lives.
- Transparency and responsible stewardship of funds are crucial in selecting and supporting organizations that have a direct impact on children.
Host: Charles L. Bender III, Founding CEO and Board Member of Place of Hope
Co-Host: Jamie Bond Ciancio, North County Director of Advancement & Communications
Title Sponsor: Crypto Capital Venture | Follow Dan Gambardello's on Twitter (@cryptorecruitr)
Looking for assistance in south Florida? Visit VillagesOfHope.net
Link:
Title Sponsor: Crypto Capital Venture | Follow Dan Gambardello's on Twitter (@cryptorecruitr)
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Producer: Maya Elia
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Charles Bender (00:02):
Hello and thank you for tuning in to Ambassadors
of Hope.
I'm your host, charles Bender.
We're so excited that you'vetuned in to hear from local
South Florida leaders who aremaking a difference in our
community and region through ourcharity Place of Hope.
Maya Elias (00:30):
Hello, I'm your producer, Maya Elias, and in
this conversation on theAmbassadors of Hope podcast,
Charles Bender speaks withAmanda- Leigh Player Hall and
Ben Goldman from the Gary andVivienne Player Foundation.
They discussed their sharedmission of creating safe and
nurturing environments forvulnerable children.
The foundation focuses onbreaking intergenerational
(00:51):
poverty models through education, health and housing initiatives
.
They highlight the importanceof love, relationships and hope
in making a difference inchildren's lives.
The conversation also toucheson the foundation's future plans
and upcoming events.
Please continue listening onfor the rest of this week's
episode.
Charles Bender (01:10):
All right.
Well, we are super excitedtoday because we have good
friends with us, ambassadors ofPlace of Hope for years now
doing great things with us, andso we have Amanda- Leigh Player
Hall, my good friend, and BenGoldman.
They're both from and created,and are now running and
expanding in a big way, the Garyand Vivienne Player Foundation,
(01:31):
and you guys have done so manycool things with us already.
But what we're excited aboutthat we actually did this
morning over at our packs andcampuses.
We did a check presentation.
We had the news here, which wasgreat, and it all goes back to
specifically what we were doingtoday.
It was the check presentationfrom the Giving Tuesday of 2023,
(01:52):
which was I think it wasOctober, right October, november
, I think.
There were charities doing thatall over the nation, but I
think ours was probably the mostexciting one with you guys,
because you issued us this verygenerous $75,000 matching
challenge as a grant, to caveatthe idea that we would go out to
the community and try to raisethe matching dollars, and our
(02:14):
people loved what you all didand stepped up in a big way, and
so the impact was $150,000 forPlace of Hope and all the
different things we do togetherWonderful, absolutely amazing,
so we're glad you guys are herewith us.
They were talking a little bitabout the foundation and I'll
give it to you, shane.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (02:30):
And we saw a range from like $25 gifts to
$2,500 gifts.
So it was a really cool rangeto see people support that.
And then if they gave $500 ormore, they were entered to win a
drawing to play golf with yourdad.
So that was kind of cool too.
Charles Bender (02:47):
Which somebody did win.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (02:49):
So actually going back to what you said,
charles, with this checkpresentation we had WPTV was
there you did a great job ofsharing kind of the mission in
the heart of the Gary andVivienne Player of foundation
and where it kind of came fromand it just made me think so we
have a shared mission.
Both of our organizations focuson safe and nurturing
environments for vulnerablechildren.
Can you elaborate on thespecific connections or shared
(03:12):
values between, maybe place ofhope, or what you guys see in
place of hope, and thefoundation?
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (03:17):
Well, after my mom passed away two
years ago, we renamed andreestablished my dad's
foundation, and they've alwaysbeen involved with helping
underprivileged and vulnerablechildren, and so my dad really
wanted to give back tocommunities that have
contributed to his success inthe United States, and so we
really wanted to findorganizations that were really
making a big impact in this area, and you know we were very
(03:42):
careful about selecting thatorganization, and actually
already one of my best friendsthey lived down here and had
gotten, had been involved withCharles, and he told me that
this is just an organizationthat you've got to investigate,
and the minute I met Charles andsaw what the place of hope was
doing down here just reallyresonated with me and knew that
(04:02):
we needed to partner, and thiswas exactly what my mom would
have wanted to be involved with.
She couldn't bear the idea ofany child suffering or being
abused or neglected in any way,and so just so grateful for the
board scope of work that you doand how we can be involved with
that.
Charles Bender (04:21):
Yeah, and I fell in love with you guys from like
day one.
It was just so.
When Wade introduced us and youcame down, I'm like these are,
these are salt of the earthpeople.
They're going to be doing bigstuff and I can see it kind of
in my mind's eye expandingbefore you even started to
expand.
And now, Ben, you jumped onboard.
Tell us a little bit about it.
Ben Goldman (04:37):
Yeah, I'm the new guy here.
I just joined Amanda and thefamily maybe a month ago,
february 1, not even a month ago.
Get the ground running.
Yeah, I was a news anchor inConnecticut for the last seven
years and I'm 27.
And I left my job in September.
I I wasn't getting thefulfillment or energy that I was
looking for by being on TV.
I checked that box off and Isaid I want to do something and
(05:00):
work with people that I have adeep admiration for and respect
for.
That aligns with who I am onthe inside.
I played in Amanda and herfather's tournament in
Philadelphia and met with themand their board members.
There seemed to be a need.
Amanda has really workedsingle-handedly with her board
to build this foundation afterthey rebranded it and renamed it
a few years back.
She's now taken it to a pointwhere she's ready to take it to
(05:23):
the next level and grow it alittle bit more, Find different
ways to raise funds to helpothers in addition to golf
tournaments.
We spoke and it aligned with mypassions and my interests.
I was ready to pivot outside ofnews and find something that
really brought fulfillment to mylife and start that new chapter
.
We got along great.
(05:44):
It's like we've been doing thisfor a long time even though
it's been a few weeks.
Charles Bender (05:51):
You joined the right family.
You joined the right group,because that's one of the things
that just hit me right from thebeginning is because we have a
tremendous support base that webuild over the years Side
campuses, regional people thatsupport us from all over the
state and the United States.
I might have said this earlierI just love when there are
people with heart and they're init for the reason that, because
all you have to do is listen toyour dad's beat.
(06:12):
I sense that from the initialmeeting.
But then also when I came upwith Philly for that tournament,
I'm like, wow, these are reallyspecial people, because what's
better than living a lifepurpose?
I think that's the top thingthat just oozes out of you guys
and the foundation.
We're grateful to be a part ofit.
One of the things that I alsoreally like about you guys is
(06:34):
your charter when you break itdown.
One of the things that you guysare big about is breaking up
intergenerational poverty models.
We see it in child welfare foralmost 25 years now and we see
how one generation will justslip into the same thinking, the
same mindset, the same barriersthat hold them back and so
(06:54):
forth.
Our model, and not thateverybody gets it most tend to
but the idea is we surround themwith the things about future
success and breaking the way youwere brought up.
For a lot of these young peoplethat's a thing for you guys.
I talk a little bit about that,maybe why you place a hope from
that perspective.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (07:13):
My background isn't in philanthropy
work but as a 21-year-old Igraduated from architecture
school and worked for a year.
I had the opportunity to workas a missionary.
I could have gone anywhere inthe world and ended up being
assigned to New Jersey.
I'm like what in the world doesthe Lord want me to go there
for?
I learned so much in that 18months loving with the people it
(07:36):
was actually the Latin,spanish-speaking people in the
New York area and just neverunderstood the poverty levels
that are in this country.
Coming from Africa, we see itall around us.
That really opened my eyes tohow many needs there were and
how many children in these innercities were just never going to
(07:56):
get out of this.
It's so easy just to say, justpull themselves up by their
bootstraps and get out of it.
Like you said, it's just thecycle and obviously after my mom
passed away and they asked meto run the foundation, we really
wanted to make a difference.
You start looking at the dataand to know that one in six
children are living in povertyin this country and 30% of
(08:17):
homeless are children, it'sstartling.
You start looking at what canmake a difference so that they
don't remain in the cycle.
The data is very clear it'seducation, health and housing.
That's really been what ourvision has become, and to help
organizations that are workingin these three areas.
(08:38):
Place of Hope covers all threeof those, which is very exciting
.
You can see the impact thatyou're having and the results
that it's having on children'slives and futures.
Charles Bender (08:50):
It's exciting because together we're doing
even more of those three thingsthat you just said, because
Place of Hope is a group that'sexpanding.
You guys, through one of yourbig grants last year, actually
named and made available whichis soon to come out of the
ground an entire apartment inperpetuity.
This isn't just a one-timething.
(09:10):
You gave the money in aone-time thing, but now there's
going to be an apartment namedfor the family and the
foundation up at our new Stuartcampus.
That's a tangible way that youthink about it, where you're
going to be doing something.
Obviously, we need programoperating dollars and so forth,
like you've done through GivingTuesday and others, but this is
one of those things where it'slike physical, it's there Quite
honestly, nobody else in ourarea is doing this at the level
(09:32):
that we're doing it.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (09:34):
I'm just so excited about the
housing aspect because I used tolive down here.
I loved it.
I married my husband he's inpharmaceutical industry so we
moved up to Philadelphia.
I promised my mom and dad justbe a few years and we'd be back
down here.
20 years later we're stillthere.
I've had the opportunity towork with inner-city
(09:55):
organizations up in Philadelphia.
Really, the housing aspect is ahuge gap.
If you can get people intostable housing, they just really
can never get out of thatpoverty, that trap of poverty.
So excited that we're able tohelp especially mothers with
small children that might be atrisk of losing those children to
(10:17):
the foster care.
To be able to have that stablehousing for a family just
changes everything.
Charles Bender (10:22):
So we're so grateful.
You hit it right on the head.
I don't think.
When we first started gettinginto affordable transitional
housing, the aim originally wasto look at these kids' age and
have a care, so we knew whatthose stats looked like.
We know how many of them end upin prison and not in the right
scenarios and Jamie can speak tothis a lot but what we didn't
realize is that when we startedtaking these moms with children,
we were doing it, and then wewere awoken to it later, which
(10:43):
is we're going to be able tokeep these kids.
That's the intergenerationalstuff that we just talked about.
It's not just poverty, but it'salso child welfare.
People lose their children tochild welfare system, over
poverty, over what sometimeslooks like neglect, even though
it's really just poverty.
It happens all the time, and soby doing this together, we're
changing that as well, which isabsolutely amazing.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (11:03):
I was a single mom for many years and
I just could never have donethat.
But I had to go back to work.
My parents were just like arock for me.
It really resonates with mebecause if I'd been in a
different set of circumstances Icould have you just never know
and I think the compassion andempathy just fills my heart
because I could have very easilylost those children.
(11:24):
It had been raised in differentcircumstances and so it starts
to become very real.
Ben Goldman (11:29):
Absolutely.
And you guys are locatedsomewhere where we see that all
around us and we see, probablymore so than anywhere in the
country, the disparity betweenthese billionaires an island
filled with them living lessthan a tenth of a mile away from
abject poverty absolutely thanI've never lived anywhere, been
anywhere where I see it so handin hand, so close together.
(11:51):
So to be able to tap into thatcommunity that has resources and
is so privileged and lucky andblessed to be able to support
those communities that are soclose to them, is an incredible
opportunity and it's endless howmuch you can tap into that and
grow it.
Charles Bender (12:09):
It's so divergent, like you said.
What's also interesting is ifyou're an outsider looking in,
sometimes you think, well,charities must not have a
problem raising what they needto, because look at all the
wealthy people, right.
Then the flip is, you come here, like you just said, you don't
know that the poverty is eventhere.
So it's really interestingbecause you can go out right by
the lake into farming territoryof Palm Beach County and there's
abject poverty there as well.
(12:31):
It's unbelievable.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (12:32):
I know we're actually just talking
with Ben.
So we have very privilege thatwe go to Augusta National every
year as a family and we drive upin Olia Lane and it's the most
exquisite golf course in theworld and just we get so caught
up in that.
And just recently it's come tomy attention about the
incredible poverty in Augustaand Augusta, Georgia, and so
(12:55):
just around the corner peoplecome flying from all over the
world to attend this amazingevent there.
The schools and the povertylevels in that community are
just some of the highest in thecountry, and so it's all around
us and I think sometimes we'resheltered in this great country
to have the privileges andopportunities that we have, and
(13:16):
then not just around, and it'sin every urban, in a city in
this country.
Charles Bender (13:24):
Absolutely.
People don't realize that.
You know, one of the thingsthat excites me is you know, we
call this ambassador's hope fora reason.
You guys are ambassadors forwhat Place of Hope does.
Not just because you go andraise all this money and give a
bunch of it to Place of Hopethat's a big part of it.
But the other part is justbecause you are spreading the
word.
You're letting people know thatthere is poverty in their
backyard.
You're doing something about it.
(13:45):
I love that.
You guys like love the hand upmodel.
That's what that's in my manyyears is what breaks
intergenerational poverty is thehand up, not the hand out.
You can just give housing andfood and clothing to people all
day long, but if you don't haveexpectations, if you don't show
them the window of potential andthen try to hold them to some
version of however they definethey wanna go, they won't get
(14:06):
there.
But people do like to, you know.
So, like we, better turn andmake it happen for themselves.
They just need help to getthere, and so that's what you're
doing with the group up thereand Gusta and you guys like
those types of charities as well.
Ben Goldman (14:19):
So really, when it comes to breaking the cycle,
that's truly how you do it right, because it becomes muscle
memory and then they can thenteach the next generation what
they learned for themselves, andthat then becomes the family
norm, and I think that's wildlyimportant.
Charles Bender (14:33):
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Thanks so much, dan, and ourfriends at Crypto Capital
Venture, well and Jamie, can saya little bit about how it
landed, but one of the things Ialso love about what we did for
Giving Tuesday is that youissued this $75,000 matching
challenge and said to us okay,you gotta go sort of, you want
(15:13):
the 75, you gotta go see if thecommunity will do the 75.
You probably would have given itto us anyway because you're so
generous, but the idea was thatwe're gonna do this matching
challenge and, just likeambassadors, it's highlighting
all these folks that are a partof what we do in so many
different ways.
Right, could be somebody on ourstaff, could be like what you
guys do.
It could be a company in town,somebody on our leadership
(15:34):
council, but at the end of theday, it's highlighting people
doing great things.
But that's where that matchchallenge did as well.
It encouraged people on GivingTuesday to kind of do a
secondary look at us right, andbecause they knew it was gonna
be matched, it makes it moreexciting.
People give because they wannagive, but you can encourage it
(15:54):
by doing these kinds of thingsand so that could be raised
$150,000.
And so where you helped us withan apartment a year ago up in
Martin County to build somethingnew, now you're helping us
actually run a piece of everysingle thing we do to serve
thousands a year.
So it's exciting.
You had some kind of cool statson how that went on Giving
Tuesday.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (16:13):
Yeah, we had hundreds of people step up and
respond and reach out to us onsocial media.
Like I said earlier, the rangewas from $25 gifts to $2,500
gifts and people said, if thisis gonna be a match, this is an
opportunity for me to take my$50 or my $100 and it could be
doubled.
It's inspiring people and thenyou see people do spin-offs and
(16:36):
they can do that.
I can do that too.
They do it through Parties Witha Purpose or they're doing it
and they're sharing thisinformation about what we have
the opportunity to do here inour area.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (16:48):
Yeah, we loved getting involved in
that because we do as afoundation.
We are running events and we doone main golf event a year.
That's really small andintimate and my dad is.
He loves people and so he givesso much of himself.
So we try and keep these eventsreally small but it does
eliminate a lot of people thatwant to contribute but can't
maybe afford such a large event.
(17:12):
And so being able to engagepeople and being able to give
anything my dad was like, evenwriting a letter or wrapping a
gift, whatever it is, makes adifference and to give everybody
an opportunity to participate.
And then we wanted to feel goodstory that maybe someone would
never have a chance to take offwith my dad at an event or be
(17:33):
able to have this one-on-oneexperience with him was really
special.
Ben Goldman (17:37):
And what's amazing about Mr.
Players that he hasn'tforgotten where he's come from.
He knows exactly what it feelslike to be in need and rely on
others and the power of beinghelped by people with means and
supporting and believing in hisdream when he was growing up
playing golf.
And just because he made it bigand won all these major
tournaments and is knownglobally, what's amazing and why
(17:58):
I respect and admire him somuch is that he hasn't forgotten
that and he can totally get onhis hands and knees and be with
a little kid who has nothing andis able to relate to him on the
same deep level as he can.
The billionaire son, palm Beach, yeah.
Charles Bender (18:15):
And he's the same person he is.
You know what else I respectabout him, Although it's a
little embarrassing when I'm tooclose to him.
He's like this guy gets down onthe grass when you're teaching
people how to putt and he'll dosit-ups and stuff like that.
It's like he's 80 something.
Now right, I mean.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (18:27):
Yeah, he's 89 and he has endless
energy, son of a, and I thinkthe greatest thing that about my
dad is his endless love.
Like there's many differentlanguages in this world and you
know he tries to speak a few ofthem, but the greatest language
that he speaks is the languageof love and he loves people.
And I was actually, we had, andI was talking, we had a meeting
last night and I was tellingthem.
You know, for me as watchinghim, I just have this most
(18:50):
incredible admiration for him asa man, and both my mom and dad
would like this.
But the way they treat the mansweeping the street or the
prison of the United States isexactly the same.
They have them love and respectfor all people and I think
that's because of the humblebeginning.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (19:07):
We have a lot of our youth that are in
that same situation.
We've had so many young adultswho had the opportunity to come
through Place of Hope and haveseen and been modeled for a
different perspective on whatthey've come from.
They've come from such brokenplaces, such poverty, such
despair and hopeless, and theyhave found hope and they've all
(19:28):
kind of set in their own way.
It's interesting.
The one thing that I missed anddidn't know I was missing was
hope and that's what Place ofHope provided.
Place of Hope and the peoplethat support Place of Hope are
modeling a different opportunity, a different perspective on
life, and we have so many ofthem who come back and our
ambassadors.
We have a youth advisorycouncil of so many alum who have
(19:49):
come back and still support,they volunteer their time, they
speak into the lives of so manyof these youth and that inspires
them as well to see what thisyounger generation coming up,
what they're going through, andI think it humbles them as well
and I think it's awesome for oursupporters and people like
yourselves to hear those stories, to know what you're a part of
(20:10):
I've been on the team for Placeof Hope now for almost 10 years
and to see some of these youththat came through when I first
came on board, and Will and Maryand to now see where they are,
married with their own families,bachelor's degrees, working on
staff.
Mary just joined our teamrecently, so it's amazing to see
tangibly that generationalcycle that you're breaking and
(20:33):
to know that you're a part ofthat.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (20:34):
Yeah, and I'm preparing to meet with
you today and I know we werecoming on the podcast.
I really thought a lot aboutHope and, like, what does give
us hope as individuals, andespecially as these vulnerable,
underprivileged or youth, whatcan give them the hope to make
the changes in their lives?
And I heard this amazing quotethat just resonated with me,
(20:55):
that when we strive to love andlove others, and especially
children, that we walk into theriverbed of God's love.
And I think when we are filledwith that love, it's so
motivating, right, and we areable to do things that are
beyond our own abilities, andthen we are able to feel that
compassion and that grace andthat mercy for others.
(21:18):
And I think it's all aboutrelationships, right.
So it's not about writing thecheck, it's about relationships.
And when you start to reach outwith love, then, unless someone
else feels that, that it feelthat they have value, and they
start to feel like there'ssomething better for them, and I
just there's.
(21:38):
Hope is such a loaded word andit's something that we need to
keep thinking about and how wecan keep instilling that,
because without hope, it's adark world.
Charles Bender (21:48):
Well, you hit it right on the head with, I think
, why we do have so many youngpeople that have become
successful, that walk throughtremendous amounts of trauma and
exploitation, but they get itbecause they really through the
way we do what we do, but mainlythe people around them, and
that we're faith-based as well,and even the American Medical
Association agrees with thatthat faith is a great thing for
(22:13):
people to move forward,especially if they've been well
everybody, but if you've been intrauma and so forth, that's not
always a popular thing to talkabout, but it is true.
So we have that and we also havethe manifestation of that
through people and relationshipsand that's when kids feel like
they matter because of theirsurroundings and because the way
we do place hope withexcellence.
(22:33):
But then also the relationshipwith the people that invest, and
whether it's direct or indirect, you know that when our young
people come into care, they'llstart to meet people that are
around them, might get a mentoror a tutor, and there's people
that work on the team andvolunteers that come.
But the other thing is they'reseeing that just happen around
them and we actually have anevidence type of program.
(22:53):
We actually get our youngpeople to start giving back.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (22:57):
I love that, yeah, because the
mentoring is so huge.
Right, we are mentored, andthen you wanna be able to help
somebody like you are.
I think that's very true.
Like the other thing about mydad you know he came from a very
underprivileged family.
His dad worked on the mines.
He lost his mom.
He was left alone in a darkhouse every night.
His brother was all but war.
His sister wasn't a boardingschool, and you know he was left
(23:18):
alone and we always ask him, orpeople ask him, what you know,
how did you get from there towhere you are today?
And one he always recognizesGod's hand in that.
But there were people that hecouldn't get there alone, and
none of us can get anywhere inlife alone.
And so he recognized the peopleat Kalani Golf Club that raised
money and sent him to a sportstournament, or the people his
(23:39):
amazing school teachers thathelped him and believed in him
and helped him have a vision ofa better life.
Ben Goldman (23:45):
I think because of the people that supported him,
it then drove him to work harderto win that golf tournament, to
practice harder to become moresuccessful, to become better.
Because he had the support ofso many people believing in him
that he owed it to them tosucceed.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (24:02):
And all those relationships are so
crucial and powerful and not abad story.
Charles Bender (24:07):
Well, I always say you can imagine if more were
doing what he's doing and howhe's spending the time Same with
you guys, but if more weredoing that.
But there's plenty of peoplethat just don't so.
Like at his age, and everythinghe's accomplished and
everything he's still doing,this is a core part of who he is
, and I love it.
Ben Goldman (24:25):
What I think is so cool and I said this at our
meeting last night is that it'sso rare to have someone who's 89
years old, known globally,who's messaging and whose brand
is so consistent for the past 70years.
I mean the things he's sayingnow when you watch him do a golf
clinic, or inspirational speechabout mind, body, spirit,
(24:46):
fitness, diet, travel andtraining and being kind and
giving back.
He was saying it 60 years ago,65 years ago.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (24:53):
And it's funny.
You know, when you talk to himabout legacies like I don't
believe in legacies, but what hewants to give and what he wants
to leave behind is that love.
And you know, when you impactchildren's lives, you're
planting a seed that willperpetuate absolutely, you know,
in eternity.
And so we're so grateful forhim and his desire, just the way
he lives his life.
(25:14):
You know, what you see is whatyou get, and his heart is huge.
Charles Bender (25:18):
Well, listen, you took the ball and ran with
it too, just so you know Iremember, when you call me,
you're like you know, I'm not aprofessional putting together
these events.
So then I went up and just onewoman show running around like a
maniac, and afterwards she'slike how do you think I did?
I'm like well, look at thenumbers, I look at the smile on
people's faces.
It's just absolutely amazing.
So you've taken and run withthat.
Well, you see it's totally.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (25:38):
You know it's not me and it's just
people are drawn to my dad andhe's a remarkable man and I know
there's a lot of still a goodthat we can still do and hope to
do.
Just so grateful to have theprivilege and opportunity to be
able to help my parents, toreally have given their whole
life to helping others.
I mean from a young child, Imean my dad, the first check
(25:59):
that he wanted the US Open, hehanded it right back to helping
children with cancer and that'sthe way he's lived his life.
And from a young girl.
They give a part of us a farmto build a school for
underprivileged children.
And so I grew up.
You know that was a part of howI grew up.
And and my mom, you know you'rea remarkable lady.
(26:21):
She did not ever like thelimelight and she didn't get
involved with big organizationsbut she, especially after she
passed away the number of peoplethat came forward, she would
always help the one you know,and she had a motto that she
said you look up and you reachout, and so you look up and ask
where is my energy best served?
And then you go and dosomething about it, and I love
(26:42):
that about her.
Charles Bender (26:43):
You know, my next question was going to be
specifically about you and yourbackground with art and
architecture and all thesethings, and it was going to be.
You know, philanthropy is soimportant to you and not for
just to say it.
But you basically alreadyanswered the question because
you know, I said to you so howdid?
How did you make that bridge?
How did you go from what youwere doing before to now, this
being such a paramount piece ofyour life?
(27:05):
But I think I might just answerfor you.
I think it's your family, yourupbringing and all that was just
ingrained right into you.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (27:11):
Yeah, and I just think the ability to
love, you know, is, like I said,is so huge and I think that
love grows the more that you getinto difficult or uncomfortable
situations.
You are able to see people'sneeds, get out of your own
comfort zone and that's boxsomething inside of you.
(27:31):
So I've been very fortunate tohave many opportunities to be
involved and have my, you know,vision of what's really
happening around us throughthrough church, opportunities to
serve or volunteering orworking as for different
nonprofits, and I think once youstart seeing the needs, it
changes something inside of you.
It helps you know that we caneach make a difference, no
(27:52):
matter what that is, andsometimes it's just maybe
smiling or talking to somebodyor recognizing that a man on the
street has value.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (28:01):
Well, and we talked a little bit earlier
about you know, Ben, coming onboard and you're expanding.
We just talked about you andhow you kind of bridge the gap
and really taking thisfoundation and you've hit the
ground running and you'regrowing.
Talk a little bit about whatthat means for the future.
Where are you guys going andwhat is your philanthropic
strategy to grow and what elsedo you want to do?
(28:21):
What is the future hold for you?
Ben Goldman (28:22):
So that's something we talk about daily, literally
daily.
It's always a sensitive subject,but the fact of the matter is,
Mr.
Player is 89 years old andthere will be a day hopefully
it's not for another 10 or 20years, but there will be a day
when Mr.
Player is not here.
We want to make sure that, youknow, people will come and still
play golf and raise money forthe foundation, but our main way
(28:43):
that we raise money now is byhosting these dollars and People
pay a very large sum of moneyto come for the day with their
foresome, play golf with Mr.
Player, meet Mr.
Nicholas and be around theselegends.
But we want to make sure thatMr.
Player's legacy is alive andthriving and continuing to help
people, and that's really hismain Legacy is this foundation,
(29:03):
and that's the way he's going tobe remembered, hopefully, um,
and kept alive through thisfoundation and the same with Mrs
.
Player as well.
So we want to make sure thatthere are fundraising Means and
vehicles that are not strictlygolf related, and so that's one
thing that we're just startingto talk about now and plan for,
because so far it's been.
Let's just get everythingReestablished and built and and
(29:27):
maximized what we currently have, and so now we're planning on
coming up with different ideasto.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (29:33):
I think my dad's such a man of
faith that we have to put it inGod's hands and sometimes, when
you do that, miracles and doorsopen.
But we definitely right now weare passed through right.
We support amazingorganizations like this.
I suppose in South Africa, youknow, I could said we had a
school for underprivilegedchildren on our farm.
It's a bricks and mortar schooland we really hope that in the
(29:54):
near future We'll be able to tobecome a bricks and mortar
project based.
I mean, I that's what theproject up in Stuart means so
much to us, the bricks andmortar project that you know
it's gonna impact people.
But I think being able to havebuilt something that will go
into a patuity Um that will bein my parents name, would be
very special for our family andforever.
Charles Bender (30:15):
That's what I like about it, yeah.
So this kind of leads me to mymy next question about how do
you guys pick the charities thatyou decide you're gonna do
something because obviouslyyou're investing, and because it
is, it's an investment, whetherit's you know through giving
Tuesday what you did, or theactual build of the apartment.
Both are investments and so youhave.
Obviously you have to becareful as your stewarding funds
(30:37):
that were not easy to raise.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (30:39):
That's what I tell Ben, like every
cent that we raise is sacredmoney to us, so this is
children's money and so wereally I mean we just keep our
expenses as low as possible sothat Every cent that we raise
goes to two organizations thatare making impact.
And when we selected our board,it was very strategic.
It was people that really lovedmy parents and also that were
(31:02):
committed to to the cause andterm mission and our vision.
And so when we obviously we geta lot of requests Pat Kaufman
is there was a very, very dearfriend of my mom's and but
between her and I we vet theseorganizations.
Capri, there's a tell and wewant to make sure that that
every cent for these, or we weselect organizations where the
money we raise is going directlyto children and impacting their
(31:25):
lives, and that is very, veryessential to us, that we we give
away, you know, as 99% of whatwe raise and that it's going to
impact children, because thereare a lot of organizations where
, unfortunately, the money isn'timpacting the children as as
much as we talk.
So we're very, very careful invetting Organizations, and place
(31:48):
of hope has just been aremarkable partner and we're
just the sun.
I know you will find it and youhave a lot of support.
But I just feel so, you know,and my dad does too we just feel
so grateful to be able to handyou that check and know that
children's lives are going to beTouched and impacted For a very
long time.
So thank you.
Charles Bender (32:09):
Well, we take it very seriously on the on the
flip side of that, as to why wewant to have and talk about the
Awards that we receive, so tospeak, so the charity navigator
ratings and those things candidand some of the others, these
outside groups that look in.
You know, if you want to seeour books, you know we will
share with you, as thefoundation, our audited
financial, because we we takevery seriously that when you do
(32:32):
that to choose us and then workwith us and partner with us,
that we're going to make surethat you understand, that you
can see it and and thenunderstand how it gets
distributed out Responsibly andI think you've taught me that,
charles, which is being great.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (32:46):
You know, being able to run a
foundation and being able tohave that transparency is very
important.
Or any doughnuts be able tolook at audited books and to be
able to see exactly you knowwhat, where the money's going.
And so all the Gary and veryunfair foundation that's the
model that I I've followed insuit of you and the Nica
foundation to make sure thatpeople can feel you know at
(33:08):
peace.
People want to know where themoney's going and so it's really
important we take that veryseriously and I could say this
at sacred money, that is thisfor children.
Charles Bender (33:18):
Well, tell us real quick, as we wrap up, what
the next event is.
Let's talk about that.
It's coming up and I knowyou've got a couple
beneficiaries.
Thank you, thankfully.
Place OAPS one of those as wellright.
You bet you talk a little bitabout the group that you're
gonna help up in Georgia, butalso you know what's the
strategy.
Where are we doing this thing?
At what you know?
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (33:35):
Well, very fortunate that for Mr.
and Mrs.
Nicholas, have opened up theBears club.
So Mr.
Nicholas is driving up here inJupiter and it's gonna be on May
5th and 6th and we're very,very excited it's gonna.
It's called the Journey fromAfrica and it's just we really
focusing on Southern Africangolfers being able to share, how
you know They've come fromSouth Africa what that means and
(33:57):
what that Living in an arealike you talked about earlier,
that you see poverty all aroundyou, but then coming to a
country like America and beingable to give back to this
country, and so we're veryexcited for them to be able to
join us and be able to also dojust to also give tribute to my
dad and the impact that he's hadon them and their careers and
(34:19):
if you are hearing this, we dohave a couple more for some
available.
Ben Goldman (34:22):
So if you or your company want to be a part of
this, it's a small, intimategathering, but we do have some
room for some more people andyou get to hang out with Gary
Player.
Charles Bender (34:30):
That's what.
I'm saying I've been there,I've seen how he dances at the
event Night with Dennery.
He gets out on the dance floor.
I mean he is fantastic.
I mean it is like you said,it's close up and it's really a
unique opportunity and to bewith Mr.
Nicholas and Mr.
Player and hear these stories.
Ben Goldman (34:46):
Some other celebrities will be there as
well, and some names you'll know.
It's just it's an unforgettableexperience and we have a chef
coming in from South Africa aswell.
A Wine tasting and just to bein the environment of the Bears
Club with these legends, all togive back for poppers, children
and helping lift them out ofpoverty, is how could you not
(35:08):
want to be part of?
Charles Bender (35:09):
well, and even going forward for the future
event past that?
You know, when you're back upand Philly doing things out
there, if you're doing it here,you know we hope this message
gets out there so that peoplewill take a look website.
I'll go in and say, okay, howcan I be engaged in this next
thing that's coming?
You're looking at differentways of doing things.
On the giving Tuesday thing, isthat right up your alley in
terms of what a great ideaBecause it leverages the
community as a whole.
(35:30):
Maybe people can't afford to,you know, be in a golf
tournament, but they can be apart of that, the match and so
forth.
So other things I'm sure youguys are coming up with.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (35:38):
Yeah, and we're really excited about
this event because we're goingto be going.
You know the beneficiarieselevate, which is a national
organization, but it's going.
It's starting Affiliate inAugusta, Georgia that goes into
the urban schools and providesteacher mentors or stable
relationships for these youthand that you know the data shows
that that really can changechild life or trajectory.
(35:59):
So we're so excited to be ableto support you and this amazing
new organization that's going tooffer some some hope in Augusta
, Georgia to well, ben, we'reglad you're on the team back and
I'm glad you're back inparadise for only like one more
day, right, but then you'll beback again.
Charles Bender (36:16):
We try to get her down here as much as I can,
but, but we were so grateful foryou guys and everything that
you're doing.
We're grateful to be a part ofit now, in the future, whatever,
but we're excited for whereit's headed and just all great
things.
Y'all Just lift and bless youngpeople and Thank you.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (36:33):
Thank you, charles, it's a great.
Charles Bender (36:37):
Thank you for listening.
Please be sure to subscribe andshare with your friends so you
don't even miss a thing, and ifyou really gained value today,
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we can be put in front of morelisteners.
For details and show notesabout today's podcast and how
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(37:01):
sure, follow us on social media.
Ambassadors of hope placinghope in a child's future.
Hello and thank you for tuning in to Ambassadors
of Hope.
I'm your host, charles Bender.
We're so excited that you'vetuned in to hear from local
South Florida leaders who aremaking a difference in our
community and region through ourcharity Place of Hope.
Maya Elias (00:30):
Hello, I'm your producer, Maya Elias, and in
this conversation on theAmbassadors of Hope podcast,
Charles Bender speaks withAmanda- Leigh Player Hall and
Ben Goldman from the Gary andVivienne Player Foundation.
They discussed their sharedmission of creating safe and
nurturing environments forvulnerable children.
The foundation focuses onbreaking intergenerational
(00:51):
poverty models through education, health and housing initiatives
.
They highlight the importanceof love, relationships and hope
in making a difference inchildren's lives.
The conversation also toucheson the foundation's future plans
and upcoming events.
Please continue listening onfor the rest of this week's
episode.
Charles Bender (01:10):
All right.
Well, we are super excitedtoday because we have good
friends with us, ambassadors ofPlace of Hope for years now
doing great things with us, andso we have Amanda- Leigh Player
Hall, my good friend, and BenGoldman.
They're both from and created,and are now running and
expanding in a big way, the Garyand Vivienne Player Foundation,
(01:31):
and you guys have done so manycool things with us already.
But what we're excited aboutthat we actually did this
morning over at our packs andcampuses.
We did a check presentation.
We had the news here, which wasgreat, and it all goes back to
specifically what we were doingtoday.
It was the check presentationfrom the Giving Tuesday of 2023,
(01:52):
which was I think it wasOctober, right October, november
, I think.
There were charities doing thatall over the nation, but I
think ours was probably the mostexciting one with you guys,
because you issued us this verygenerous $75,000 matching
challenge as a grant, to caveatthe idea that we would go out to
the community and try to raisethe matching dollars, and our
(02:14):
people loved what you all didand stepped up in a big way, and
so the impact was $150,000 forPlace of Hope and all the
different things we do togetherWonderful, absolutely amazing,
so we're glad you guys are herewith us.
They were talking a little bitabout the foundation and I'll
give it to you, shane.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (02:30):
And we saw a range from like $25 gifts to
$2,500 gifts.
So it was a really cool rangeto see people support that.
And then if they gave $500 ormore, they were entered to win a
drawing to play golf with yourdad.
So that was kind of cool too.
Charles Bender (02:47):
Which somebody did win.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (02:49):
So actually going back to what you said,
charles, with this checkpresentation we had WPTV was
there you did a great job ofsharing kind of the mission in
the heart of the Gary andVivienne Player of foundation
and where it kind of came fromand it just made me think so we
have a shared mission.
Both of our organizations focuson safe and nurturing
environments for vulnerablechildren.
Can you elaborate on thespecific connections or shared
(03:12):
values between, maybe place ofhope, or what you guys see in
place of hope, and thefoundation?
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (03:17):
Well, after my mom passed away two
years ago, we renamed andreestablished my dad's
foundation, and they've alwaysbeen involved with helping
underprivileged and vulnerablechildren, and so my dad really
wanted to give back tocommunities that have
contributed to his success inthe United States, and so we
really wanted to findorganizations that were really
making a big impact in this area, and you know we were very
(03:42):
careful about selecting thatorganization, and actually
already one of my best friendsthey lived down here and had
gotten, had been involved withCharles, and he told me that
this is just an organizationthat you've got to investigate,
and the minute I met Charles andsaw what the place of hope was
doing down here just reallyresonated with me and knew that
(04:02):
we needed to partner, and thiswas exactly what my mom would
have wanted to be involved with.
She couldn't bear the idea ofany child suffering or being
abused or neglected in any way,and so just so grateful for the
board scope of work that you doand how we can be involved with
that.
Charles Bender (04:21):
Yeah, and I fell in love with you guys from like
day one.
It was just so.
When Wade introduced us and youcame down, I'm like these are,
these are salt of the earthpeople.
They're going to be doing bigstuff and I can see it kind of
in my mind's eye expandingbefore you even started to
expand.
And now, Ben, you jumped onboard.
Tell us a little bit about it.
Ben Goldman (04:37):
Yeah, I'm the new guy here.
I just joined Amanda and thefamily maybe a month ago,
february 1, not even a month ago.
Get the ground running.
Yeah, I was a news anchor inConnecticut for the last seven
years and I'm 27.
And I left my job in September.
I I wasn't getting thefulfillment or energy that I was
looking for by being on TV.
I checked that box off and Isaid I want to do something and
(05:00):
work with people that I have adeep admiration for and respect
for.
That aligns with who I am onthe inside.
I played in Amanda and herfather's tournament in
Philadelphia and met with themand their board members.
There seemed to be a need.
Amanda has really workedsingle-handedly with her board
to build this foundation afterthey rebranded it and renamed it
a few years back.
She's now taken it to a pointwhere she's ready to take it to
(05:23):
the next level and grow it alittle bit more, Find different
ways to raise funds to helpothers in addition to golf
tournaments.
We spoke and it aligned with mypassions and my interests.
I was ready to pivot outside ofnews and find something that
really brought fulfillment to mylife and start that new chapter
.
We got along great.
(05:44):
It's like we've been doing thisfor a long time even though
it's been a few weeks.
Charles Bender (05:51):
You joined the right family.
You joined the right group,because that's one of the things
that just hit me right from thebeginning is because we have a
tremendous support base that webuild over the years Side
campuses, regional people thatsupport us from all over the
state and the United States.
I might have said this earlierI just love when there are
people with heart and they're init for the reason that, because
all you have to do is listen toyour dad's beat.
(06:12):
I sense that from the initialmeeting.
But then also when I came upwith Philly for that tournament,
I'm like, wow, these are reallyspecial people, because what's
better than living a lifepurpose?
I think that's the top thingthat just oozes out of you guys
and the foundation.
We're grateful to be a part ofit.
One of the things that I alsoreally like about you guys is
(06:34):
your charter when you break itdown.
One of the things that you guysare big about is breaking up
intergenerational poverty models.
We see it in child welfare foralmost 25 years now and we see
how one generation will justslip into the same thinking, the
same mindset, the same barriersthat hold them back and so
(06:54):
forth.
Our model, and not thateverybody gets it most tend to
but the idea is we surround themwith the things about future
success and breaking the way youwere brought up.
For a lot of these young peoplethat's a thing for you guys.
I talk a little bit about that,maybe why you place a hope from
that perspective.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (07:13):
My background isn't in philanthropy
work but as a 21-year-old Igraduated from architecture
school and worked for a year.
I had the opportunity to workas a missionary.
I could have gone anywhere inthe world and ended up being
assigned to New Jersey.
I'm like what in the world doesthe Lord want me to go there
for?
I learned so much in that 18months loving with the people it
(07:36):
was actually the Latin,spanish-speaking people in the
New York area and just neverunderstood the poverty levels
that are in this country.
Coming from Africa, we see itall around us.
That really opened my eyes tohow many needs there were and
how many children in these innercities were just never going to
(07:56):
get out of this.
It's so easy just to say, justpull themselves up by their
bootstraps and get out of it.
Like you said, it's just thecycle and obviously after my mom
passed away and they asked meto run the foundation, we really
wanted to make a difference.
You start looking at the dataand to know that one in six
children are living in povertyin this country and 30% of
(08:17):
homeless are children, it'sstartling.
You start looking at what canmake a difference so that they
don't remain in the cycle.
The data is very clear it'seducation, health and housing.
That's really been what ourvision has become, and to help
organizations that are workingin these three areas.
(08:38):
Place of Hope covers all threeof those, which is very exciting
.
You can see the impact thatyou're having and the results
that it's having on children'slives and futures.
Charles Bender (08:50):
It's exciting because together we're doing
even more of those three thingsthat you just said, because
Place of Hope is a group that'sexpanding.
You guys, through one of yourbig grants last year, actually
named and made available whichis soon to come out of the
ground an entire apartment inperpetuity.
This isn't just a one-timething.
(09:10):
You gave the money in aone-time thing, but now there's
going to be an apartment namedfor the family and the
foundation up at our new Stuartcampus.
That's a tangible way that youthink about it, where you're
going to be doing something.
Obviously, we need programoperating dollars and so forth,
like you've done through GivingTuesday and others, but this is
one of those things where it'slike physical, it's there Quite
honestly, nobody else in ourarea is doing this at the level
(09:32):
that we're doing it.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (09:34):
I'm just so excited about the
housing aspect because I used tolive down here.
I loved it.
I married my husband he's inpharmaceutical industry so we
moved up to Philadelphia.
I promised my mom and dad justbe a few years and we'd be back
down here.
20 years later we're stillthere.
I've had the opportunity towork with inner-city
(09:55):
organizations up in Philadelphia.
Really, the housing aspect is ahuge gap.
If you can get people intostable housing, they just really
can never get out of thatpoverty, that trap of poverty.
So excited that we're able tohelp especially mothers with
small children that might be atrisk of losing those children to
(10:17):
the foster care.
To be able to have that stablehousing for a family just
changes everything.
Charles Bender (10:22):
So we're so grateful.
You hit it right on the head.
I don't think.
When we first started gettinginto affordable transitional
housing, the aim originally wasto look at these kids' age and
have a care, so we knew whatthose stats looked like.
We know how many of them end upin prison and not in the right
scenarios and Jamie can speak tothis a lot but what we didn't
realize is that when we startedtaking these moms with children,
we were doing it, and then wewere awoken to it later, which
(10:43):
is we're going to be able tokeep these kids.
That's the intergenerationalstuff that we just talked about.
It's not just poverty, but it'salso child welfare.
People lose their children tochild welfare system, over
poverty, over what sometimeslooks like neglect, even though
it's really just poverty.
It happens all the time, and soby doing this together, we're
changing that as well, which isabsolutely amazing.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (11:03):
I was a single mom for many years and
I just could never have donethat.
But I had to go back to work.
My parents were just like arock for me.
It really resonates with mebecause if I'd been in a
different set of circumstances Icould have you just never know
and I think the compassion andempathy just fills my heart
because I could have very easilylost those children.
(11:24):
It had been raised in differentcircumstances and so it starts
to become very real.
Ben Goldman (11:29):
Absolutely.
And you guys are locatedsomewhere where we see that all
around us and we see, probablymore so than anywhere in the
country, the disparity betweenthese billionaires an island
filled with them living lessthan a tenth of a mile away from
abject poverty absolutely thanI've never lived anywhere, been
anywhere where I see it so handin hand, so close together.
(11:51):
So to be able to tap into thatcommunity that has resources and
is so privileged and lucky andblessed to be able to support
those communities that are soclose to them, is an incredible
opportunity and it's endless howmuch you can tap into that and
grow it.
Charles Bender (12:09):
It's so divergent, like you said.
What's also interesting is ifyou're an outsider looking in,
sometimes you think, well,charities must not have a
problem raising what they needto, because look at all the
wealthy people, right.
Then the flip is, you come here, like you just said, you don't
know that the poverty is eventhere.
So it's really interestingbecause you can go out right by
the lake into farming territoryof Palm Beach County and there's
abject poverty there as well.
(12:31):
It's unbelievable.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (12:32):
I know we're actually just talking
with Ben.
So we have very privilege thatwe go to Augusta National every
year as a family and we drive upin Olia Lane and it's the most
exquisite golf course in theworld and just we get so caught
up in that.
And just recently it's come tomy attention about the
incredible poverty in Augustaand Augusta, Georgia, and so
(12:55):
just around the corner peoplecome flying from all over the
world to attend this amazingevent there.
The schools and the povertylevels in that community are
just some of the highest in thecountry, and so it's all around
us and I think sometimes we'resheltered in this great country
to have the privileges andopportunities that we have, and
(13:16):
then not just around, and it'sin every urban, in a city in
this country.
Charles Bender (13:24):
Absolutely.
People don't realize that.
You know, one of the thingsthat excites me is you know, we
call this ambassador's hope fora reason.
You guys are ambassadors forwhat Place of Hope does.
Not just because you go andraise all this money and give a
bunch of it to Place of Hopethat's a big part of it.
But the other part is justbecause you are spreading the
word.
You're letting people know thatthere is poverty in their
backyard.
You're doing something about it.
(13:45):
I love that.
You guys like love the hand upmodel.
That's what that's in my manyyears is what breaks
intergenerational poverty is thehand up, not the hand out.
You can just give housing andfood and clothing to people all
day long, but if you don't haveexpectations, if you don't show
them the window of potential andthen try to hold them to some
version of however they definethey wanna go, they won't get
(14:06):
there.
But people do like to, you know.
So, like we, better turn andmake it happen for themselves.
They just need help to getthere, and so that's what you're
doing with the group up thereand Gusta and you guys like
those types of charities as well.
Ben Goldman (14:19):
So really, when it comes to breaking the cycle,
that's truly how you do it right, because it becomes muscle
memory and then they can thenteach the next generation what
they learned for themselves, andthat then becomes the family
norm, and I think that's wildlyimportant.
Charles Bender (14:33):
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Thanks so much, dan, and ourfriends at Crypto Capital
Venture, well and Jamie, can saya little bit about how it
landed, but one of the things Ialso love about what we did for
Giving Tuesday is that youissued this $75,000 matching
challenge and said to us okay,you gotta go sort of, you want
(15:13):
the 75, you gotta go see if thecommunity will do the 75.
You probably would have given itto us anyway because you're so
generous, but the idea was thatwe're gonna do this matching
challenge and, just likeambassadors, it's highlighting
all these folks that are a partof what we do in so many
different ways.
Right, could be somebody on ourstaff, could be like what you
guys do.
It could be a company in town,somebody on our leadership
(15:34):
council, but at the end of theday, it's highlighting people
doing great things.
But that's where that matchchallenge did as well.
It encouraged people on GivingTuesday to kind of do a
secondary look at us right, andbecause they knew it was gonna
be matched, it makes it moreexciting.
People give because they wannagive, but you can encourage it
(15:54):
by doing these kinds of thingsand so that could be raised
$150,000.
And so where you helped us withan apartment a year ago up in
Martin County to build somethingnew, now you're helping us
actually run a piece of everysingle thing we do to serve
thousands a year.
So it's exciting.
You had some kind of cool statson how that went on Giving
Tuesday.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (16:13):
Yeah, we had hundreds of people step up and
respond and reach out to us onsocial media.
Like I said earlier, the rangewas from $25 gifts to $2,500
gifts and people said, if thisis gonna be a match, this is an
opportunity for me to take my$50 or my $100 and it could be
doubled.
It's inspiring people and thenyou see people do spin-offs and
(16:36):
they can do that.
I can do that too.
They do it through Parties Witha Purpose or they're doing it
and they're sharing thisinformation about what we have
the opportunity to do here inour area.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (16:48):
Yeah, we loved getting involved in
that because we do as afoundation.
We are running events and we doone main golf event a year.
That's really small andintimate and my dad is.
He loves people and so he givesso much of himself.
So we try and keep these eventsreally small but it does
eliminate a lot of people thatwant to contribute but can't
maybe afford such a large event.
(17:12):
And so being able to engagepeople and being able to give
anything my dad was like, evenwriting a letter or wrapping a
gift, whatever it is, makes adifference and to give everybody
an opportunity to participate.
And then we wanted to feel goodstory that maybe someone would
never have a chance to take offwith my dad at an event or be
(17:33):
able to have this one-on-oneexperience with him was really
special.
Ben Goldman (17:37):
And what's amazing about Mr.
Players that he hasn'tforgotten where he's come from.
He knows exactly what it feelslike to be in need and rely on
others and the power of beinghelped by people with means and
supporting and believing in hisdream when he was growing up
playing golf.
And just because he made it bigand won all these major
tournaments and is knownglobally, what's amazing and why
(17:58):
I respect and admire him somuch is that he hasn't forgotten
that and he can totally get onhis hands and knees and be with
a little kid who has nothing andis able to relate to him on the
same deep level as he can.
The billionaire son, palm Beach, yeah.
Charles Bender (18:15):
And he's the same person he is.
You know what else I respectabout him, Although it's a
little embarrassing when I'm tooclose to him.
He's like this guy gets down onthe grass when you're teaching
people how to putt and he'll dosit-ups and stuff like that.
It's like he's 80 something.
Now right, I mean.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (18:27):
Yeah, he's 89 and he has endless
energy, son of a, and I thinkthe greatest thing that about my
dad is his endless love.
Like there's many differentlanguages in this world and you
know he tries to speak a few ofthem, but the greatest language
that he speaks is the languageof love and he loves people.
And I was actually, we had, andI was talking, we had a meeting
last night and I was tellingthem.
You know, for me as watchinghim, I just have this most
(18:50):
incredible admiration for him asa man, and both my mom and dad
would like this.
But the way they treat the mansweeping the street or the
prison of the United States isexactly the same.
They have them love and respectfor all people and I think
that's because of the humblebeginning.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (19:07):
We have a lot of our youth that are in
that same situation.
We've had so many young adultswho had the opportunity to come
through Place of Hope and haveseen and been modeled for a
different perspective on whatthey've come from.
They've come from such brokenplaces, such poverty, such
despair and hopeless, and theyhave found hope and they've all
(19:28):
kind of set in their own way.
It's interesting.
The one thing that I missed anddidn't know I was missing was
hope and that's what Place ofHope provided.
Place of Hope and the peoplethat support Place of Hope are
modeling a different opportunity, a different perspective on
life, and we have so many ofthem who come back and our
ambassadors.
We have a youth advisorycouncil of so many alum who have
(19:49):
come back and still support,they volunteer their time, they
speak into the lives of so manyof these youth and that inspires
them as well to see what thisyounger generation coming up,
what they're going through, andI think it humbles them as well
and I think it's awesome for oursupporters and people like
yourselves to hear those stories, to know what you're a part of
(20:10):
I've been on the team for Placeof Hope now for almost 10 years
and to see some of these youththat came through when I first
came on board, and Will and Maryand to now see where they are,
married with their own families,bachelor's degrees, working on
staff.
Mary just joined our teamrecently, so it's amazing to see
tangibly that generationalcycle that you're breaking and
(20:33):
to know that you're a part ofthat.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (20:34):
Yeah, and I'm preparing to meet with
you today and I know we werecoming on the podcast.
I really thought a lot aboutHope and, like, what does give
us hope as individuals, andespecially as these vulnerable,
underprivileged or youth, whatcan give them the hope to make
the changes in their lives?
And I heard this amazing quotethat just resonated with me,
(20:55):
that when we strive to love andlove others, and especially
children, that we walk into theriverbed of God's love.
And I think when we are filledwith that love, it's so
motivating, right, and we areable to do things that are
beyond our own abilities, andthen we are able to feel that
compassion and that grace andthat mercy for others.
(21:18):
And I think it's all aboutrelationships, right.
So it's not about writing thecheck, it's about relationships.
And when you start to reach outwith love, then, unless someone
else feels that, that it feelthat they have value, and they
start to feel like there'ssomething better for them, and I
just there's.
(21:38):
Hope is such a loaded word andit's something that we need to
keep thinking about and how wecan keep instilling that,
because without hope, it's adark world.
Charles Bender (21:48):
Well, you hit it right on the head with, I think
, why we do have so many youngpeople that have become
successful, that walk throughtremendous amounts of trauma and
exploitation, but they get itbecause they really through the
way we do what we do, but mainlythe people around them, and
that we're faith-based as well,and even the American Medical
Association agrees with thatthat faith is a great thing for
(22:13):
people to move forward,especially if they've been well
everybody, but if you've been intrauma and so forth, that's not
always a popular thing to talkabout, but it is true.
So we have that and we also havethe manifestation of that
through people and relationshipsand that's when kids feel like
they matter because of theirsurroundings and because the way
we do place hope withexcellence.
(22:33):
But then also the relationshipwith the people that invest, and
whether it's direct or indirect, you know that when our young
people come into care, they'llstart to meet people that are
around them, might get a mentoror a tutor, and there's people
that work on the team andvolunteers that come.
But the other thing is they'reseeing that just happen around
them and we actually have anevidence type of program.
(22:53):
We actually get our youngpeople to start giving back.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (22:57):
I love that, yeah, because the
mentoring is so huge.
Right, we are mentored, andthen you wanna be able to help
somebody like you are.
I think that's very true.
Like the other thing about mydad you know he came from a very
underprivileged family.
His dad worked on the mines.
He lost his mom.
He was left alone in a darkhouse every night.
His brother was all but war.
His sister wasn't a boardingschool, and you know he was left
(23:18):
alone and we always ask him, orpeople ask him, what you know,
how did you get from there towhere you are today?
And one he always recognizesGod's hand in that.
But there were people that hecouldn't get there alone, and
none of us can get anywhere inlife alone.
And so he recognized the peopleat Kalani Golf Club that raised
money and sent him to a sportstournament, or the people his
(23:39):
amazing school teachers thathelped him and believed in him
and helped him have a vision ofa better life.
Ben Goldman (23:45):
I think because of the people that supported him,
it then drove him to work harderto win that golf tournament, to
practice harder to become moresuccessful, to become better.
Because he had the support ofso many people believing in him
that he owed it to them tosucceed.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (24:02):
And all those relationships are so
crucial and powerful and not abad story.
Charles Bender (24:07):
Well, I always say you can imagine if more were
doing what he's doing and howhe's spending the time Same with
you guys, but if more weredoing that.
But there's plenty of peoplethat just don't so.
Like at his age, and everythinghe's accomplished and
everything he's still doing,this is a core part of who he is
, and I love it.
Ben Goldman (24:25):
What I think is so cool and I said this at our
meeting last night is that it'sso rare to have someone who's 89
years old, known globally,who's messaging and whose brand
is so consistent for the past 70years.
I mean the things he's sayingnow when you watch him do a golf
clinic, or inspirational speechabout mind, body, spirit,
(24:46):
fitness, diet, travel andtraining and being kind and
giving back.
He was saying it 60 years ago,65 years ago.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (24:53):
And it's funny.
You know, when you talk to himabout legacies like I don't
believe in legacies, but what hewants to give and what he wants
to leave behind is that love.
And you know, when you impactchildren's lives, you're
planting a seed that willperpetuate absolutely, you know,
in eternity.
And so we're so grateful forhim and his desire, just the way
he lives his life.
(25:14):
You know, what you see is whatyou get, and his heart is huge.
Charles Bender (25:18):
Well, listen, you took the ball and ran with
it too, just so you know Iremember, when you call me,
you're like you know, I'm not aprofessional putting together
these events.
So then I went up and just onewoman show running around like a
maniac, and afterwards she'slike how do you think I did?
I'm like well, look at thenumbers, I look at the smile on
people's faces.
It's just absolutely amazing.
So you've taken and run withthat.
Well, you see it's totally.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (25:38):
You know it's not me and it's just
people are drawn to my dad andhe's a remarkable man and I know
there's a lot of still a goodthat we can still do and hope to
do.
Just so grateful to have theprivilege and opportunity to be
able to help my parents, toreally have given their whole
life to helping others.
I mean from a young child, Imean my dad, the first check
(25:59):
that he wanted the US Open, hehanded it right back to helping
children with cancer and that'sthe way he's lived his life.
And from a young girl.
They give a part of us a farmto build a school for
underprivileged children.
And so I grew up.
You know that was a part of howI grew up.
And and my mom, you know you'rea remarkable lady.
(26:21):
She did not ever like thelimelight and she didn't get
involved with big organizationsbut she, especially after she
passed away the number of peoplethat came forward, she would
always help the one you know,and she had a motto that she
said you look up and you reachout, and so you look up and ask
where is my energy best served?
And then you go and dosomething about it, and I love
(26:42):
that about her.
Charles Bender (26:43):
You know, my next question was going to be
specifically about you and yourbackground with art and
architecture and all thesethings, and it was going to be.
You know, philanthropy is soimportant to you and not for
just to say it.
But you basically alreadyanswered the question because
you know, I said to you so howdid?
How did you make that bridge?
How did you go from what youwere doing before to now, this
being such a paramount piece ofyour life?
(27:05):
But I think I might just answerfor you.
I think it's your family, yourupbringing and all that was just
ingrained right into you.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (27:11):
Yeah, and I just think the ability to
love, you know, is, like I said,is so huge and I think that
love grows the more that you getinto difficult or uncomfortable
situations.
You are able to see people'sneeds, get out of your own
comfort zone and that's boxsomething inside of you.
(27:31):
So I've been very fortunate tohave many opportunities to be
involved and have my, you know,vision of what's really
happening around us throughthrough church, opportunities to
serve or volunteering orworking as for different
nonprofits, and I think once youstart seeing the needs, it
changes something inside of you.
It helps you know that we caneach make a difference, no
(27:52):
matter what that is, andsometimes it's just maybe
smiling or talking to somebodyor recognizing that a man on the
street has value.
Jamie Bond Ciancio (28:01):
Well, and we talked a little bit earlier
about you know, Ben, coming onboard and you're expanding.
We just talked about you andhow you kind of bridge the gap
and really taking thisfoundation and you've hit the
ground running and you'regrowing.
Talk a little bit about whatthat means for the future.
Where are you guys going andwhat is your philanthropic
strategy to grow and what elsedo you want to do?
(28:21):
What is the future hold for you?
Ben Goldman (28:22):
So that's something we talk about daily, literally
daily.
It's always a sensitive subject,but the fact of the matter is,
Mr.
Player is 89 years old andthere will be a day hopefully
it's not for another 10 or 20years, but there will be a day
when Mr.
Player is not here.
We want to make sure that, youknow, people will come and still
play golf and raise money forthe foundation, but our main way
(28:43):
that we raise money now is byhosting these dollars and People
pay a very large sum of moneyto come for the day with their
foresome, play golf with Mr.
Player, meet Mr.
Nicholas and be around theselegends.
But we want to make sure thatMr.
Player's legacy is alive andthriving and continuing to help
people, and that's really hismain Legacy is this foundation,
(29:03):
and that's the way he's going tobe remembered, hopefully, um,
and kept alive through thisfoundation and the same with Mrs
.
Player as well.
So we want to make sure thatthere are fundraising Means and
vehicles that are not strictlygolf related, and so that's one
thing that we're just startingto talk about now and plan for,
because so far it's been.
Let's just get everythingReestablished and built and and
(29:27):
maximized what we currently have, and so now we're planning on
coming up with different ideasto.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (29:33):
I think my dad's such a man of
faith that we have to put it inGod's hands and sometimes, when
you do that, miracles and doorsopen.
But we definitely right now weare passed through right.
We support amazingorganizations like this.
I suppose in South Africa, youknow, I could said we had a
school for underprivilegedchildren on our farm.
It's a bricks and mortar schooland we really hope that in the
(29:54):
near future We'll be able to tobecome a bricks and mortar
project based.
I mean, I that's what theproject up in Stuart means so
much to us, the bricks andmortar project that you know
it's gonna impact people.
But I think being able to havebuilt something that will go
into a patuity Um that will bein my parents name, would be
very special for our family andforever.
Charles Bender (30:15):
That's what I like about it, yeah.
So this kind of leads me to mymy next question about how do
you guys pick the charities thatyou decide you're gonna do
something because obviouslyyou're investing, and because it
is, it's an investment, whetherit's you know through giving
Tuesday what you did, or theactual build of the apartment.
Both are investments and so youhave.
Obviously you have to becareful as your stewarding funds
(30:37):
that were not easy to raise.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (30:39):
That's what I tell Ben, like every
cent that we raise is sacredmoney to us, so this is
children's money and so wereally I mean we just keep our
expenses as low as possible sothat Every cent that we raise
goes to two organizations thatare making impact.
And when we selected our board,it was very strategic.
It was people that really lovedmy parents and also that were
(31:02):
committed to to the cause andterm mission and our vision.
And so when we obviously we geta lot of requests Pat Kaufman
is there was a very, very dearfriend of my mom's and but
between her and I we vet theseorganizations.
Capri, there's a tell and wewant to make sure that that
every cent for these, or we weselect organizations where the
money we raise is going directlyto children and impacting their
(31:25):
lives, and that is very, veryessential to us, that we we give
away, you know, as 99% of whatwe raise and that it's going to
impact children, because thereare a lot of organizations where
, unfortunately, the money isn'timpacting the children as as
much as we talk.
So we're very, very careful invetting Organizations, and place
(31:48):
of hope has just been aremarkable partner and we're
just the sun.
I know you will find it and youhave a lot of support.
But I just feel so, you know,and my dad does too we just feel
so grateful to be able to handyou that check and know that
children's lives are going to beTouched and impacted For a very
long time.
So thank you.
Charles Bender (32:09):
Well, we take it very seriously on the on the
flip side of that, as to why wewant to have and talk about the
Awards that we receive, so tospeak, so the charity navigator
ratings and those things candidand some of the others, these
outside groups that look in.
You know, if you want to seeour books, you know we will
share with you, as thefoundation, our audited
financial, because we we takevery seriously that when you do
(32:32):
that to choose us and then workwith us and partner with us,
that we're going to make surethat you understand, that you
can see it and and thenunderstand how it gets
distributed out Responsibly andI think you've taught me that,
charles, which is being great.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (32:46):
You know, being able to run a
foundation and being able tohave that transparency is very
important.
Or any doughnuts be able tolook at audited books and to be
able to see exactly you knowwhat, where the money's going.
And so all the Gary and veryunfair foundation that's the
model that I I've followed insuit of you and the Nica
foundation to make sure thatpeople can feel you know at
(33:08):
peace.
People want to know where themoney's going and so it's really
important we take that veryseriously and I could say this
at sacred money, that is thisfor children.
Charles Bender (33:18):
Well, tell us real quick, as we wrap up, what
the next event is.
Let's talk about that.
It's coming up and I knowyou've got a couple
beneficiaries.
Thank you, thankfully.
Place OAPS one of those as wellright.
You bet you talk a little bitabout the group that you're
gonna help up in Georgia, butalso you know what's the
strategy.
Where are we doing this thing?
At what you know?
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (33:35):
Well, very fortunate that for Mr.
and Mrs.
Nicholas, have opened up theBears club.
So Mr.
Nicholas is driving up here inJupiter and it's gonna be on May
5th and 6th and we're very,very excited it's gonna.
It's called the Journey fromAfrica and it's just we really
focusing on Southern Africangolfers being able to share, how
you know They've come fromSouth Africa what that means and
(33:57):
what that Living in an arealike you talked about earlier,
that you see poverty all aroundyou, but then coming to a
country like America and beingable to give back to this
country, and so we're veryexcited for them to be able to
join us and be able to also dojust to also give tribute to my
dad and the impact that he's hadon them and their careers and
(34:19):
if you are hearing this, we dohave a couple more for some
available.
Ben Goldman (34:22):
So if you or your company want to be a part of
this, it's a small, intimategathering, but we do have some
room for some more people andyou get to hang out with Gary
Player.
Charles Bender (34:30):
That's what.
I'm saying I've been there,I've seen how he dances at the
event Night with Dennery.
He gets out on the dance floor.
I mean he is fantastic.
I mean it is like you said,it's close up and it's really a
unique opportunity and to bewith Mr.
Nicholas and Mr.
Player and hear these stories.
Ben Goldman (34:46):
Some other celebrities will be there as
well, and some names you'll know.
It's just it's an unforgettableexperience and we have a chef
coming in from South Africa aswell.
A Wine tasting and just to bein the environment of the Bears
Club with these legends, all togive back for poppers, children
and helping lift them out ofpoverty, is how could you not
(35:08):
want to be part of?
Charles Bender (35:09):
well, and even going forward for the future
event past that?
You know, when you're back upand Philly doing things out
there, if you're doing it here,you know we hope this message
gets out there so that peoplewill take a look website.
I'll go in and say, okay, howcan I be engaged in this next
thing that's coming?
You're looking at differentways of doing things.
On the giving Tuesday thing, isthat right up your alley in
terms of what a great ideaBecause it leverages the
community as a whole.
(35:30):
Maybe people can't afford to,you know, be in a golf
tournament, but they can be apart of that, the match and so
forth.
So other things I'm sure youguys are coming up with.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (35:38):
Yeah, and we're really excited about
this event because we're goingto be going.
You know the beneficiarieselevate, which is a national
organization, but it's going.
It's starting Affiliate inAugusta, Georgia that goes into
the urban schools and providesteacher mentors or stable
relationships for these youthand that you know the data shows
that that really can changechild life or trajectory.
(35:59):
So we're so excited to be ableto support you and this amazing
new organization that's going tooffer some some hope in Augusta
, Georgia to well, ben, we'reglad you're on the team back and
I'm glad you're back inparadise for only like one more
day, right, but then you'll beback again.
Charles Bender (36:16):
We try to get her down here as much as I can,
but, but we were so grateful foryou guys and everything that
you're doing.
We're grateful to be a part ofit now, in the future, whatever,
but we're excited for whereit's headed and just all great
things.
Y'all Just lift and bless youngpeople and Thank you.
Amanda-Leigh Player Hall (36:33):
Thank you, charles, it's a great.
Charles Bender (36:37):
Thank you for listening.
Please be sure to subscribe andshare with your friends so you
don't even miss a thing, and ifyou really gained value today,
please be sure to give us afive-star review so, of course,
we can be put in front of morelisteners.
For details and show notesabout today's podcast and how
you can connect with and supportour guests, please go to place
of hope comm, forward slashpodcast, and please don't forget
to email us at Poh podcast, atpolice of hope comm, and for
(37:01):
sure, follow us on social media.
Ambassadors of hope placinghope in a child's future.
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!