FIA members swapped futures for fairways this month, raising funds for children's charities and community causes on both sides of the Atlantic.
In London, 71 golfers across 18 teams competed for the Bob Ray Memorial Trophy at the Futures for Kids charity golf tournament, held at the Royal Blackheath Golf Club during one of the hottest weeks of the year.
The late Bob Ray, a well-known figure in the derivatives industry and a supporter of Futures for Kids, launched the FFK Golf Day in 2010. Often described as Chicago's ambassador to London, Ray helped establish the tournament as an annual fundraising event, with teams continuing to compete for the trophy named in his memory.
The event raises money for charities supported by Futures for Kids, which work to improve the lives and opportunities of children and young people around the world. FIA has long supported FFK’s work, with FIA staff actively involved in its events and fundraising activities.
Sponsors of the London golf tournament included CME Group, Trading Technologies, StoneX, ADM Investor Services, ABN AMRO, Barclays, Eventus, FIA, GFO-X, GH Financials, KRM22, Sapphire Technology Group, Trafix and W-Executive.
Players teed off in a shotgun start, with team and individual competitions held alongside the longest drive and nearest-to-the-pin challenges.
Barclays won the Bob Ray Memorial Trophy with 96 points, thanks to strong play by Per Haga, Sachin Mehta, Jordan Broome and Henry Belcher. Eventus finished second with 95 points, just ahead of CME on countback. Barclays' Per Haga was named Best Individual with 47 points.
The competition hole winners included Clive Leicester of CME for the longest drive, Simon Napper of ADM Investor Services for the nearest-to-the-pin on hole 8, and Matt Racine of Trading Technologies for the nearest-to-the-pin on hole 16.
“The annual FFK Golf Day has become a firm fixture of the summer calendar for the futures industry in London,” said Emma Davey, FFK chair of the board of trustees. “Once again, we were blessed with the perfect conditions on the hugely popular Royal Blackheath Golf Club. Our thanks to all the sponsors and participants for a great day and valuable fundraising for FFK.”
Fundraising in Chicago
The London tournament followed the FIA Chicago Charity Golf Outing, held at Arrowhead Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, drawing FIA members from across the Chicago area.
The Chicago outing brought together more than 170 golfers for a shotgun start, on-course contests and a raffle, alongside a golf clinic and networking dinner.
Net proceeds from the US event will benefit four local organisations: the Greenwood Project, which introduces students from underrepresented backgrounds to careers in finance; EverPulse, a heart health and CPR training initiative in schools; Beat the Streets Chicago, a wrestling-based youth mentoring programme; and the Autism Hero Project, which supports families affected by autism.
This year's outing is projected to generate a significant increase in the total amount donated to the designated charities, reflecting the strong support of sponsors, participants and volunteers.
“These events show the FIA community at its best – coming together to support organisations that make a real difference in our local communities,” said Don Byron, FIA’s head of global industry operations and execution. “They are only possible thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our industry, and we are very grateful for their continued support.”
