A golf tournament in Walkerton has raised a significant amount of money for the Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce.
Volunteer organizer Joe Rys says nearly 200 participants donated everything from $5 to $1,000 during the event on Tuesday, August 11th, at the Walkerton Golf and Curling Club, “We had people giving all kinds of support to this over the course of the event,” says Rys.
“It was a fantastic success. This is the second year for this fundraising,” says Rys.
Rys says teams from all over Grey Bruce played in the tournament alongside teams from as far away as London and Kitchener.
He notes, the day went well despite having a rainy start, “It was beautiful in the afternoon and the evening.”
According to co-organizer Nancy Bailey, as of August 12th, this year's tournament has raised $73,929 for general operating costs of both Chapman House in Owen Sound and also to raise money to build a proposed Southern Bruce Grey Hospice satellite location in Walkerton.
It's estimated a new hospice location in Walkerton could cost somewhere between five and seven million dollars.
Hospice Fund Development Manager Rachel Taylor says closures and financial strain on the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic means the hospice organization has missed out on fundraisers this year, noting the importance of ensuring Chapman House can stay afloat before starting an expansion project.
Nancy Bailey echoed the sentiment, “We need a healthy Chapman House before we can build.”
Meanwhile, Joe Rys says there is also an online auction underway, (until Aug 17) “Check your Facebook, this is really important because there's some great things in the online auction, and the funds raised through this will go towards the fundraising for the hospice.”
The website for the proposed Walkerton hospice project notes its creation would allow for palliative care for about 70-90 additional Grey Bruce residents each year with six beds and seven rooms. It also notes it would be within a 45 minute drive for most Grey Bruce residents.
At the golf tournament, donors could choose to dedicate their donation to either the proposed Walkerton build project or the general operating costs of the Residential Hospice of Grey Bruce.