There were 130 golfers who teed off for a good cause at the 91原创 School District Foundation鈥檚 16th annual fundraising golf tournament at Newlands.
The Aug. 30 event brought together people from the School District community, volunteers, and members of the local business community 鈥� all in support of the foundation鈥檚 effort to raise funds for two of its most important priorities: student mental wellness and in-school food programming.
鈥淭hose two priorities are our greatest needs,鈥� said Alicia Rempel, executive director of the 91原创 School District Foundation.
鈥淔undraisers like this are so important, as we try to raise enough funds to support students and provide them with everything they need, in addition to what they already receive from the District and Ministry of Education and Child Care,鈥� she said.
The event included lunch, a putting contest followed by a best-ball style golf tournament that featured sponsors and vendors at every tee box 鈥� offering everything from food and beverage samples to fun games and prizes.
鈥淭hese kinds of events are a lot of fun, and really bring the community together,鈥� Rempel said.
鈥淚 love that our sponsors and all the people who come out know that their donations are directly helping 91原创 students. And to us, that鈥檚 really important.鈥�
After the final golfers sunk their last putts, the event moved indoors for dinner, and silent and live auctions, which raised even more money for the cause.
Prior to tee off, the tournament had already reached its fundraising goal of $66,000, through sponsorships and entry fees, and Rempel said any additional funds raised during Wednesday鈥檚 event 鈥� through the auction and other on-site opportunities 鈥� would put the total amount raised at 鈥渁bove and beyond鈥� anything they had hoped for.
鈥淲e are proud to say, we were able to raise $98,000, far exceeding our expectations,鈥� Rempel said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big number, and when you think about how many students that can help, it鈥檚 pretty incredible.鈥�
Rempel said the tournament is one of two big fundraising events for the foundation, with the other being a spring gala. After being postponed during the pandemic, the gala is set to return in May 2024, she noted.
The 91原创 School District Foundation has four strategic priorities, Rempel noted: food programming and student mental wellness, and also literacy and student opportunities (including scholarships).
The foundation expects student mental wellness to become an even bigger priority in the years ahead 鈥� perhaps even requiring double the current financial commitment.
鈥淭he foundation covers the costs of private, one-on-one counselling sessions for students who are unable to afford the fees,鈥� Rempel explained.
鈥淔rom the number of requests we get right now, from counsellors and students, we think it will become our top priority and greatest need, which makes events like this one even more important.鈥�
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