The 12th Annual Charity Golf Classic for Health will be held on Thursday, June 9 at the Good Spirit Lake Golf and Family Resort, with an 11 a.m. shotgun start.
"We have two goals for this tournament. The first is to put on a premiere golf event, one of the best in Saskatchewan. The second is to raise funds to help our medical professionals provide the best possible healthcare to our families, friends and neighbours here in east central Saskatchewan" states Jerry Jemieff, chair of the 2011 Charity Golf Classic organizing committee.
"In the 11 years of the Charity Golf Classic, $730,000 has been raised and used to purchase medical equipment. Last year the golfers did an amazing job raising $120,188, which was the second highest amount of money we've ever raised. That's an average of $834 raised by each golfer. " said Mr. Jemieff.
As a bit of an incentive CAA Travel Saskatchewan and our sponsors are helping us offer great prizes and trips again this year. First prize this year, which goes to the golfer raising the most money, is a 7-day Caribbean cruise for two with Holland America. Airfare from Regina is included and the cabin will have an ocean view. Second prize is a four day trip to for two to Las Vegas or a $1,200 travel voucher, and third prize is a $600 travel voucher. Obviously, we can only offer great prizes like this because of the generosity of CAA and our other sponsors.
"CAA Travel Saskatchewan has provided the top prizes to the golfers raising the most money for the last 10 years, and we are very pleased to continue sponsoring the main prizes," said Linda Koroluk, Manager of CAA Travel in Yorkton. "This is a great tournament; all the proceeds are used to buy new medical equipment and if we can encourage the golfers to compete and try to raise more funds in order to win the great prizes that we provide - that's wonderful."
Sponsorship covers the entire cost of the tournament and the prizes, which mean 100% of the money golfers raise goes toward medical equipment or items for patient care and comfort. The Charity Golf Classic buys something for every healthcare facility in the Sunrise Health Region.
"The Charity Golf Classic organizing committee is made up primarily of volunteers from the Presenting Sponsors," said Jerry Jemieff, "and I would like to recognize and thank our presenting sponsors: Mosaic Potash Esterhazy, SaskTel, LDM Foods Ltd., and the Credit Unions of East Central Saskatchewan."
Ross Fisher, Executive Director of The Health Foundation added "Last year 1,701 individuals made pledges to golfers. That is a huge number of people participating in one event. The Charity Golf Classic is unlike many of the projects The Health Foundation takes on in that it doesn't raise money for a major piece of equipment. Instead it buys a piece of equipment for each facility in the health region. That might be a hospital bed, or a vital signs monitor, or a blood analyzer. Someone you know, in your own community, is likely to use a piece of medical equipment this golf tournament buys before the end of the year."
