October 21, 2008
By: Adam Mc Lean, www.yorkregion.com

Mayor's golf tourney chips in cash for charities

Action on the tees and fairways of the Richmond Hill Golf Club during the 15th annual Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament brought some significant ‘green’ to three charities.

Representatives from Hill House Hospice, The Krasman Centre and Lymphoma Foundation Canada couldn’t have been happier if they had just dropped a hole-in-one, as each received a cheque for $36,000 during a town council meeting last Thursday night.

This year the tournament, which was held on June 16, raised a record-setting total of $108,000, which was divided among the charities.

Since its inception, the Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament has raised $873,000 for the community.

“The first year we raised $15,000 and we didn’t even have enough sponsor signs to place one on each of the 18 holes,” said Arnie Warner, golf tournament co-chairperson and town councillor before the cheque presentation.

“Now to think that next year we have the chance to reach $1 million is incredible. This money goes back into our communities and these three charities offer outstanding care to those that require it,” he added.

Hill House Hospice provides a home-like alternative to institutional care and provides in-home care for those who are in the final stage of terminal illness.

With the proceeds from the tournament, Hill House Hospice will establish a bursary for ongoing education and seminars for their nurses to create a patient handbook/journal.

The Krasman Centre is a unique organization created by and for those who suffer from psychiatric-related illnesses and their families in York Region, offering them networking, self-help, mutual support and partnership opportunities.

Proceeds will assist them with peer support activities, training opportunities, transportation costs and their Christmas celebration for the community.

Lymphoma Foundation Canada is an organization dedicated to providing support and information to individuals with lymphoma.

The proceeds from the tournament will assist in the production of a volunteer manual, and the translation of a lymphoma fact sheet into Chinese for those afflicted with this cancer in the Asian community.

Mayor Dave Barrow expressed his amazement as to the hard work and compassion displayed at the tournament year after year.

“We the council are so happy to be associated with this and I give heartfelt thanks to all our sponsors and the tournament committee,” Mayor Barrow said.

“This tourney is always a great day that everyone looks forward to,” he added.

Those on hand representing the charities also offered heartfelt comments.

“I would like to thank everyone in this room. This means so much, I am almost embarrassed to tell you the amount of our annual budget this is,” said Tanya Shute, representative for the The Krasman Centre who was nearly in tears.

For more information on these charities, visit their websites: www.hillhousehospice.com; www.krasmancentre.com and www.lymphoma.ca.

Articles