Children’s Chairty Golf Tournament raises $24K for Stollery

Reid family continues gives back after personal experience.

In 2011, Kennedy Reid was grant a wish from the Children’s Wish Foundation. The young girl from Bonnyville has spent much of her young life in and out of the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton. It was from that granted wish that her parents saw how giving back can change a person’s life forever; thus the Children’s Charity Golf tournament was born. “We feel the Stollery is a very important part of Kennedy’s, and many more local children’s lives,” explains Kennedy’s dad, Mark Reid.

Mark and his family, have been hosting the Children’s Charity Golf tournament for seven years at the Bonnyville Golf & Country Club. In that time, the tournament has raised over $134,000, with $24,000 raised this year. “In 2011 Kennedy had her wish granted through the Children’s Wish Foundation. This fundraiser is a result of meeting John Savoire, the man who raised the money for the Wish, and paying it forward.”

Each golfer was given a bow in honour of Kennedy- who always wears a bow in her hair.

The Stollery Children’s Hospital means so much to the family, says Mark, “the first class facility that Kennedy has been blessed to have, and still continues, to utilize for medical needs. From having 7 surgeries up until the age of 6 to regular yearly checkups such as, cardiology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, Scoliosis clinic to name a few.” Mark says they leave the big decisions up to the hospital, in terms of where the money raised will be directed, “the money is  made as a donation to where it is best needed at the hospital.”

The tournament was a success again this year, says Mark, “we have had 144 players and about 15 volunteers each year. The support has been nothing less than amazing. As a family driven fundraiser we are thankful to be able to do this for the Stollery and would have not been successful without the community’s support and are overwhelmed with gratitude each year to see it go so well.”

The Reid family would like to thank all the participates, donors and volunteers who helped make the event a success. They would also like to thank all the sponsors, without them none of this would be possible.

• Nancy Proctor, Yums the Word Catering – 160 steaks and cookies.
• Woods Driving School – $10,000 Hole in One Sponsor.
• Brain Seward – $2,500 in Green Fees.
• MRC Global – Prize for Putting Green Contest.
• Tri-Energy Oilfield Services – Burgers & Beverages on Hole 7.
• Primco Dene Astec Safety (Tim Graham) – Slide Show & Equipment
• Lakeland Connect – Live Update & Thank You.