NEWS, EVENTS & STORIES

Celebrating Golf Tourney 2024

Each new tournament year, our organizers and team make a brand-new commitment to both themselves and our supporters to try outdo past efforts and event day achievements with an experience that eclipses both the fun factor and “funds” factor of all previous years! Now, that’s a tall bar?!

Well, as difficult as that is to actually realize, we can once again share (based on participant, volunteer and organizer feedback) that our 2024 golf tourney was indeed our best to date, yet!

How do we know this, you ask. Well, let’s start here…

First of all, you have Winnipeg’s own, bilingual singer-songwriter, Justin Lacroix and his timeless sounds of blues, folk and roots-rock balladeering kicking the morning off in a soft and easy soulful backdrop, while golfers, volunteers and organizers alike all make their way to the registration table sign-up and a beautiful morning brunch. Sounds idyllic already.

As everyone is rolling in and enjoying the ease and casual sense of all the goings on, one can’t help but notice only a very gentle breeze, with the warm, but not overly hot sun already casting its magical glow across the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club grounds.

With the golf carts all lined up like a holiday parade and the anticipation of the golf pro’s airhorn about ready to blast, a palpable excitement fills the air for a full day to follow of fun, fellowship and camaraderie. Oh, and yes, a bit of low score competitiveness as well! Add to the mix, Crystal Sound’s DJ – “Tony Jr.” taking over the controls for the on-course vibe at exactly high noon, and there’d be no lack of a buzz wafting through the golf course afternoon air.

As event organizer, Ray Kuik makes his way through the field of old and new personal and Foundation friends, he reports that spirits appear to be at an all-time high and regardless of scores (a few errant shots were indeed witnessed, however will not be specifically reported on here! ☺), everyone is simply enjoying the moment and taking it all in!

Soooo close, yet soooo far!

A little while into the afternoon good times, a euphoric and spirited celebration is madly in progress at the Hole #8 tee box, as the long-anticipated $25,000 hole-in-one winner (after five tournament years!) is about to be crowned! Or wait… maybe not???!

With full-on high-fiving and group pandemonium putting a temporary halt to the golf tourney proceedings, all that was left to do was verify PiBF’s new-found high roller!

Ever so unfortunately however, with all the hype and hoopla still swirling in the air, and after much closer scrutiny and “the perfect shot” verification, the congratulations and celebrations would ultimately have to wait yet at least another year!

*If you’d like to live through what a perfect moment like this just “might” feel like, however, just take a look at this!

Many thanks go out to all our wonderful corporate community friends for making this day possible. With almost every hole supported this year by a “Gold Sponsor” community partner, the tee box signage was aglow throughout the day in the backdrop of the many games, challenges, fun activities and banter. For all those who were curious, the total number of jellybeans in the Merit Contractors Association jar was … “907”. (And the very wild guesses ranged all the way from 250 to 2000 apparently?!)

Thank you to all these PiBF partners for helping to make our day such an all-round people pleaser as well... With finger-lickin’ good chicken fingers provided by Dal’s Restaurant & Lounge, and “to die for” AAA beef skewers provided by the great folks at Hamiota Feedlot in Hamiota, Manitoba, as well as Elmhurst’s own super tasty assorted pizza slices served hot at the clubhouse turn, we’re certain there wasn’t a soul in need of a late night snack when this day was all said and done!

Speaking of food! A big thank you as well to our annual hosts, Elmhurst Golf & Country Club for a fabulous evening dinner once again, complete with the mmm-mmm wholesome good traditional apple pie and ice cream dessert. Many compliments were received from those attending the evening ceremonies and celebration.

And as always, Matt Budowlowski, our super talented evening musical muse, set us off in the right mood from the moment our golfers, teams and volunteers entered the evening dining hall, right through to the last chord played for the evening! Matt’s light and casual playing style, improvisational flair, and ability to pivot on a dime, makes him a genuine highlight of each new year’s annual event.

So, with a fun-filled day in the bank, so to speak, how indeed did all yours and our community support and efforts translate into the final tallied funds we actually succeeded in raising for golf tourney 2024?! Well, this year, we’re excited to proudly announce that our tournament event “net proceeds” totalled almost $30,000.00!

Our delighted organization benefactors, Siloam Mission, National Family and Survivors Circle, and the Pay It Backward Foundation will each receive a cheque to support their amazing community building and difference-making missions.

Siloam Mission will be receiving a cheque for $15,000.00, plus $1,750.00 in “Street Socks” provided through the generous golfer and teams contributions at Hole #8 on tournament day!

The National Family and Survivors Circle will be receiving a cheque for $7,500 again this year in support of their mental health and wellness program, established for families, relatives and loved ones impacted by the pain, loss and suffering created by the tragedy of “missing and murdered indigenous women and girls”.

Additionally, a cheque for $5,750.00 will be received by the Pay It Backward Foundation, locally here in Winnipeg, for the ongoing community support initiatives and events that are a key component of its annual home-based mission.

FORE!!

That’s it for 2024, but keep a keen eye out for all the fun news updates and info to follow for “Golf Tourney 2025”.