“Excited, medyo pagod!” natatawang bungad ni Samantha Lopez nang tanungin kung ang nararamdaman niya na naisakatuparan niya ang 3rd SamLo Cup, ang celebrity golf tournament niya bilang taunang selebrasyon ng kaarawan niya.
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Saad pa niya, “Wala pa akong tulog, excited and masaya kasi maraming friends na… birthday ko rin kasi, di ba? So it’s nice to celebrate my birthday with everybody na we share the same passion of golf.
“And compassion of helping others kasi this is a fundraising golf tournament. So, para magbigay ng time nila. This is like more than five hours, buong araw ang binibigay nila sa akin, ng mga golfers at mga kaibigan ko na mga nandito.
“Tapos mga volunteers, lahat itong mga naka-orange na SamLo Cup shirts, volunteers iyan lahat.
“So, masaya! I mean, you know, masayang mag-celebrate ng ganitong birthday.”
Ang beneficiary ng SamLo Cup, tulad sa nakaraang dalawang taon, ay ang Kids For Jesus Foundation.
Pagbabahagi ni Samantha, “This year, I partnered na mismo. Before kasi beneficiary ko sila, ngayon I partnered with them na.
"Malapit sa akin ng Kids For Jesus Foundation because, one, even before SamLo Cup, yung 1st Samlo Cup, I help [them] na.
“My best friend kasi is the founder of Kids For Jesus Foundation, her name is Jessica Guevara Everingham. She’s like a sister to me, her parents are my second parents.
“S, iyon. Sumasama na ako sa mga feeding programs nila and I’ve seen it. So, bakit pa ako lalayo?
"They have seven branches, all-year long nagpi-feed kami ng kids at tinuturo namin kung sino si Jesus, about God, reading the Bible, ganyan.
“So, lahat iyon sponsored.
“At least now, kung anong kikitain namin [sa 3rd SamLo Cup], may pondo na kami. Hindi na kami yung mamumroblema, ‘This month, sino kaya mag-i-sponsor?’
“Ang pagkakaiba is, like, beneficiary pa rin sila at the same time partner wherein si Jessica involved na siya. Kasama na namin yung logo ng Kids For Jesus Foundation.
“It’s not just like SamLo Cup for the Benefit of Kids For Jesus Foundation, It’s like, SamLo Cup and Kids For Jesus Foundation, ayan,” saad ni Samantha.
Nakausap ng Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph) si Samantha mismong araw ng 3rd SamLo Cup, sa Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, Mandaluyong, noong October 17, 2023.
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THE CHALLENGES
Matagumpay ang event, pero siyempre, may mga kinaharap na pagsubok at hirap si Samantha lalo pa nga at napaka-hands-on niya sa pag-aayos ng kanyang birthday celebrity golf tournament.
Ano ang pinakamalaking challenge na hinarap niya in mounting her 3rd SamLo Cup?
“Siguro because I am blessed that events management is my background. I studied Events Management in NYU, in New York, so kahit papaano nagamit ko yung aking napag-aralan doon,” nakangiting sabi ni Samantha.
“And I love doing this, so hindi ako nagrereklamo na kahit na I am doing it on my own, although pag event na mismo I have help na from the volunteers, but like preparation-wise, three months prior nakahanda na ‘to.
“And then, with Jessica, she helps me when it comes to marketing kasi may mga kakilala rin siya.
“Ang pinaka-challenging sa akin was last night [October 16]. Kaya hindi ako nakatulog last night because, one, I do kasi the hole and flight assignments, yung sa mga players.
“Flight assignments, meaning yung players pagsasamahin mo sa isang flight, in one flight is four players. So there are eighteen holes, tapos in one hole there are two flights, flight A and flight B.
“So, merong ceremonial tee, so kailangang ilalagay ko sila sa malapit na holes para pag shotgun time hindi sila malayo.”
Ayon sa Wikipedia, ang shotgun ay "a shotgun start is a concept in which all the players in a tournament begin playing at the same time, but from a different place on the
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Pagpapatuloy pang kuwento ni Samantha, “Ngayon, I think it’s flu season, dengue season, maraming nag-cancel, maraming hindi nakarating. So, iyong mga nakaayos na na mga flights, nagulo!
“So, kailangan kong ulitin, paano ko ilalagay si ganito, paano ko ilalagay si ganyan. So, iyon ang time consuming.
“Kasi siyempre gusto kong ilagay yung magka-flight na magkasundo sila. Kasi, I mean, it’s a golf tournament, you still have fun. So, kailangan kong pagsamahin sa flight [yung magkaka-close]. So it was very challenging.
“One example is si Maricel Morales and her husband, they were so ready, coming from Pampanga, but Maricel had to rush her mother to the hospital.
“Si Tonton Gutierrez got sick, si Glydel [Mercado] may taping today.”
STAR-STUDDED EVENT
May mga hindi man nakarating ay star-studded ang SamLo Cup sa pagdating nina Christopher de Leon at misis niyang si Sandy Andolong (na cast member ng Magandang Dilag ng GMA), Glenda Garcia (na abala sa bagong GMA series ni Jo Berry na Atty. Matias), Maey Bautista, Maricar de Mesa, Francine Prieto, Daisy Reyes, Janelle Jamer, Nonie Buencamino, Regine Angeles, Alvin Anson, at Vince Hizon.
Nag-mini concert naman sina Randy Santiago at Dingdong Avanzado, pati na ang 6Cyclemind vocalist na si Tutti Caringal at si Lito Camo na umawit din sa after-party at awarding ceremonies pagkatapos ng tournament.
Naroroon din si Geneva Cruz na nag-perform ng kantang "Anak Ng Pasig" kasama ang mga batang nakatira malapit sa Ilog Pasig ay bahagi ng feeding program ng Kids For Jesus Foundation.
Dumating at pareho ring nag-golf sa umaga pa lamang sina Cesar Montano at Derek Ramsay minus Ellen Adarna.
Naging host ng event, bukod siyempre kay Samantha, sina Pinky Webb at Anthony Suntay.
Si Samantha rin ang nag-opening number with her Jennifer Lopez medley dance number.
Major sponsor ng 3rd SamLo Cup ang San Miguel Corporation.
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