Former CT Television News Reporter Lands Job At Celebrity Foundation
CONNECTICUT — Former television news reporter Ben Goldman, who left Fox61 last summer, is the new director of communications and donor relations for the Gary & Vivienne Player Foundation, Goldman announced this week in a post on the former Twitter platform now called X.
Goldman spent nearly seven years as a television news reporter, and moved from Connecticut to Palm Beach, Florida to go to work for the legendary golfer and the foundation.
He first met Gary and Vivienne in 2005 when he was only 8 years old, according to a post on Facebook. Vivienne, who Player married in 1957, passed away in 2021.
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“This role aligns perfectly with who I am on a very deep and personal level,” Goldman wrote. “For anyone who knows me, it’s no secret how much I love the game of golf, traveling, and using golf as a vehicle to connect with people from all over. When used correctly, a round of golf creates an environment to have meaningful conversations and create long-lasting relationships without distraction.”
The goal of the foundation is to help “ensure underprivileged and vulnerable children in both the United States and South Africa have a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in, with the goal of breaking intergenerational poverty by focusing on education, health, and housing.”
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Player, a South African native 88 years young, is one of the most iconic professional athletes of the last 70 years. His golf career spans 159 professional victories, including wins in all four Majors: Masters Tournament (3); Open Championships (3); PGA Championships (2); U.S. Open (1).
“Being able to help Mr. Player and his family continue to build his legacy and help thousands of children on an international scale – in partnership with the game of golf – is a truly dream come true,” Goldman wrote.
“For decades, Mr. Player’s message about focusing on physical, mental, and spiritual health has been consistently on-brand since the very start of his career,” Goldman added. “He’s changed the golf industry, fitness industry, and the charitable world on an international scale in ways few athletes or celebrities ever have.”
Goldman grew up in Wethersfield, and when he was 8, he was diagnosed with a cancerous, inoperable brain tumor. That experience helped guide him “to ignite a career and path of self-growth in recent years that has brought him to where he is today,” he wrote in his bio on LinkedIn.
He served as an honorary co-chairman of the 2015 Travelers Golf Championship in Connecticut for the work he has done for other children and families battling pediatric cancer.
“Mr. Player has always been an inspiration to me; he uses his international platform to help every child get a fair chance at living healthy, successful, fulfilling lives,” Goldman wrote. “I feel incredibly grateful to him and his daughter, Amanda-Leigh Player Hall, for trusting and inviting me to join them in this mission.”
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