Doubling up at the SFCSC's annual golf tourney

Jun 14, 2012

Photo: Junior Hartwick (centre) and a group of golfers at tee-off time at the SFCS's 4th annual 50 Plus Golf tourney at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona

At a time when some annual fundraising golf tournaments have been losing ground, the Southern Frontenac Community Services Annual  50+ Family and Friends Tourney has gained considerable momentum. Now in its fourth year, the event was begun by its co-chair and longtime SFCS volunteer, David Linton, and it has doubled both in field and  sponsorship, which is something that Linton is more than pleased about. In a recent email Linton sent to me, he wrote,  “I am ecstatic and very emotional on this evening before the tournament. To have so many businesses in the community come forward to sponsor this event is heart rending. To have so many golfers, and non-golfers sign up to support this endeavor....well, I can't describe what I am feeling. This is such an enormous example of support for SFCS, and all that they do for our community.” Linton says this year’s exceptional turn out and community support is a direct result of the efforts of the tourney’s co-chair, Junior Hartwick of Harrowsmith, who has been volunteering as a driver for the SFCS for the last eight years. Junior has lived in the community for 69 years and is a long-time member of the Rivendell Golf Club.

He spoke to me at hole #1 about his involvement as he was just finalizing some last-minute details prior to Saturday's tee off.  “I know a lot of people in the area and I was more than willing to help out and do some fundraising to help support this year’s event,” he said.

The tournament rallied over 35 groups of golfers, 140 participants in total, who teed off at Rivendell at the scramble shotgun start. They raised close to $8000 to help fund the various services that Southern Frontenac Community Services offers to residents in the community. Over 20 volunteers from the SFCS were also on hand to help out for the event.

This year was the first time the event has been held at Rivendell Golf Club in Verona. Jim Lansdell, the club’s general manager, said he and his team were more than happy to offer their services to this important community organization. “The work that the SFCS does in the community is just fantastic. The fact that they are able to reach so many different people in the community - seniors, adults and children is just amazing. This is just one way that we as a club can help them out.” 

Anyone who missed the tournament but who would still like to donate to the SFCS can do so by visiting their website at www.sfcsc.ca or by calling 1-800-763-9610 or 1-613-376-6477.