Sunny skies, soaring temperatures, and an assortment of wildlife greeted participants of the Lakeland United Way Golf Tournament this past weekend, with 36 teams of golfers hitting the greens and fairways at the Grand Centre Golf and Country Club to raise money for the cause.
Lakeland United Way president Ajaz Quraishi organized the event, which has become an annual staple in the Lakeland's golf season.
According to Quraishi, when the first tournament was held about 15 years ago, it brought in a few thousand dollars, and last year, they managed to raise $25,000.
This year, that number went even higher, with an estimated fundraising total of $31,000, which will continue to grow as tallies are added from the live auction held in the club house after the last round was played.
Quraishi explained the United Way is an important charitable organization because 99 per cent of the money raised stays in the community, and he credits the success of the tournament to the support of the community.
“Our whole purpose is the Lakeland United Way,” he said during the tournament, adding the hours of work put into the event were worth it, even if they regrettably left little time to actually participate in the sport.
Golfers were able to purchase mulligans and handwedges to help them along the way and to further support the cause, a perk that Angela Senecal's team took full advantage of. Senecal, her husband Dean Senecal, and Brian and Jeannine Zacharuk were on the course representing Bonnyville Chrysler.
“It's fun, there's no pressure because it's a team game,” Angela explained, adding that besides taking advantage of the extra mulligans, she and her team were taking full advantage of the lack of wind to improve their game.
Joely Patrick, Chantelle Dery-Wicht, Karen Schreiber, and Scott Lyons also came out to enjoy the day, have a few drinks, and support a worthy cause.
“I played a little bit growing up but it was the last few years that I've started actually playing,” Patrick explained, laughing as she and her team prepared to tee off at the 10th hole.
“I'm not the greatest. Honestly, it's something we like to do to go out and have fun. It's something that I can do with my husband and I'm here with the girls.”
By the time the last ball disappeared into the final hole, Derrek Jeannotte and Kim Waller won the longest drive, and Joel Dechaine was awarded closest to the pin. The winning team was from the Co-operators, made up of Dixon Niehaus, Kelsey Seens, Derrek Jeannotte, and Darrell Bichel.
At the end of the day, golfers gathered in the clubhouse for dinner and a live auction, trading rumours of an enterprising family of ducklings that had traveled from one end of the course to the other, snakes seen on the fairways, and a little black bear spotted on the first hole.
