The local community gave big last week as Seven Hills Golf and Country Club played host to the annual Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer golf tournament.
This year competition on the fairway hot, with 72 golfers taking to the course for the eighteen-hole, four-person best ball format tourney.
This represents a jump from last year’s 48 golfers, with registration closing early due to the full roster.
The golf tourney tees off the Cops for Cancer fundraising efforts on the North Island which culminates each year with the Tour de Rock bike ride.
Each year the Canadian Cancer Society Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock raises money for pediatric cancer research, the main event a team of riders, predominantly police officers, biking the length of the Island from Port Hardy to Victoria.
Last year the golf tourney raised in excess of $9,000 for the society, with the Tour de Rock raising over $18 million since the first ride in 1998.
The final total was still being totted up at the time the Gazette went to press, but early indications were that the event had exceeded the previous year’s total.
At Seven Hills, the top spot went to team Amos, who earned first pick from the prize table for their low score.
Port Alice RCMP officer and event organizer Darren Regush praised the generosity of local businesses who donated to the event.
“It’s been amazing,” he said. “Every year they keep giving us this great stuff. A lot of them have just given to the Logger’s Golf a couple of weeks ago and they still went ‘Here you go.'”
Even the items for the apres-fairway dinner was supplied by local businesses.
“I haven’t had to spend money on anything except the stuff for the prize table,” said Regush.
Each golfer got their pick from the prize table for entering the tourney, while a separate table was laid out with donated items up for silent auction.
This year the items up for bid included return flights to Vancouver, hotel stays, spa vouchers, artwork and many other items, all contributed to the event by local businesses.
This 2013 Tour de Rock arrives in Port Alice on September 22 with the team of 22 riders, including 17 police officers, heading out for Port Hardy and Port McNeill the next day to kick off the tour.
Between now and the ride events are scheduled all over the Island to help raise money for the cause.
To get involved or for more information go to www.tourderock.ca.
