HEATHER MCCULLOUGH,
BGC Kawarthas
KAWARTHA LAKES: On Thursday, August 4th, the Boys & Girls Clubs (BGC) Kawarthas Foundation will host their 28th Annual Jeff Beukeboom Charity Classic Golf Tournament.
For 27 years, this tournament has proven successful, with total proceeds of over $672,900 raised, for the Foundation to support BGC Kawarthas. Funds raised help keep Club program costs affordable for all families, and subsidize programs and services for families who would not otherwise be able to afford them.
It is the mission of the BGC Kawarthas to enrich the lives of children and youth, by delivering a broad range of programs which will enhance their personal growth and development. Because of events such as the Jeff Beukeboom Charity Classic, Club programs are afforded the guarantee that no child will ever be denied access, due to financial difficulties.
The tournament will be held at Wolf Run Golf Club. We are so excited to be back to a full tournament this year, with a shotgun start, lunch, dinner, and silent and live auctions.
The golf fees are $175 per golfer and include 18 holes of golf and cart, lunch, dinner, driving range and a gift. There are numerous on-course events and contests. It is almost sold out.
For the seventeenth consecutive year, Boyer Chevrolet Lindsay returns as our event sponsor.
In addition, we are thrilled to announce several new Platinum Sponsors of; Flato Developments Inc, Pearson and HTM Insurance, Wood-Mizer, BOUNCE 91.9, Imperial Coffee & Canteen and WestJet Cares for Kids. Their gold sponsors are The Standard Newspaper and Cintas.
Many local businesses and individuals also support this event through Tee and Hole sponsorships and by donating items for our auction.
This is one of the Foundation’s signature events, to support the programs, services and subsidies offered by the Club. Executive Director Amy Terrill said, “Isn’t it true, we don’t always appreciate things until they’re gone? During COVID, it was painfully clear how essential the Club’s services are: summer camps, so parents could return to work; zoom connections for kids, separated from their Club mentors and playmates; and meal kits and groceries, for youth who normally rely on a hot meal at our Warehouse. We are so thrilled to return to “normal” operations at the Club and with our fundraising events.”
The Jeff Beukeboom Charity Classic had its beginnings in the old Cambridge Street location, spear-headed by Bill Hughes and Harry Matheis (Matheis and Associates/ an original sponsor). The planning started in 1993, with the first tournament in 1994. It was a nine-hole celebrity tournament held at the Lindsay Golf Club. Each foursome golfed with a celebrity with two groups on each hole and finished in under six hours, with a roast beef dinner served by ladies from the Legion. The stand-out memory was a Hole in One by a Muskie’s player, too young to buy a round of drinks for everyone.
The tournament raised $3,600. This number has certainly changed over the years, with the support of our generous sponsors and golfers, many of whom have been coming to the tournament for the entire twenty-six years. The tournament now raises over $35,000, with the total raised over the last 26 years at $634,300.
Brandon Boyer of Boyer Chevrolet Lindsay earned the Medal of Appreciation Keystone Award from us, for being the lead sponsor of our Jeff Beukeboom Charity Classic Golf Tournament for 16 years.
Brandon Boyer, the Event Sponsor, had this to say, “We got involved with the tournament because BGC Kawarthas is such an integral place in our community for our youth, and they are our future. I love being able to stop by the Club and actually get a feel as to where the money we are donating and helping to raise is going. You guys do such a fantastic job over there, and we couldn’t be happier partnering with such a worthwhile organization.”
Club Activities Update:
In the wake of Canada’s high vaccination rates and ease of restrictions, camps have returned to full capacity in Lindsay and Peterborough. Things are switching back to face-to-face from virtual.
This is the second year for our Norwood summer camp. They have over half a dozen different camps taking place this summer, including Dance, Baseball, Swimming, Food, Science and Hockey.
BGC is running their Turn On The Taps campaign, which is to raise money for the costs of keeping the Splash Pad on. It costs $60 an hour to operate because of managing thousands of litres of water per hour and managing the sewer system. Their skatepark begins construction on July 18th, and it is expected to be completed this November. They have received $870,000 in grant money to get the project green-lit, and it has been a dream project for twelve years.
To learn more about the BGC Kawartha Foundation and the 28th Annual Jeff Beukeboom Charity Classic Golf Tournament, check out their website, at www.bgckawarthas.com.