The 25th annual St. Joseph’s General Hospital Foundation Golf Classic is still more than a month away, but organizers are encouraging would-be participants and sponsors to sign up early for the much-anticipated silver anniversary edition.
“You can count on this being a sold-out event,” says tournament chair Robert Mulrooney, who’s also a senior investment advisor at HollisWealth and founding partner of Mindset Wealth, the event’s title sponsor. “This is one of Vancouver Island’s premier golf tournaments and the largest single-day fundraiser for the Hospital Foundation.”
The event, scheduled for June 17 at Crown Isle, will feature 18 holes of exceptional golf, a buffet dinner, both a live and silent auction and – back by popular demand – the Keil Wealth Management “Million Dollar Shootout.”
“Six shooters get a shot at a million dollar hole-in-one,” explains Mulrooney. “It’s very exciting – last year one shot ran right over the hole!”
Over the past 24 years, the annual charity golf classic has raised more than $520,000 for vital equipment that enhances the level of patient care at St. Joseph’s General Hospital.
“This event is truly key to building relationships and raising much-needed funds for the hospital,” says St. Joseph’s General Hospital CEO Jane Murphy. “The proceeds from this year’s event will help purchase a Masimo oxygen saturation monitor, part of an advanced respiratory monitoring system for post-surgical patients.”
In addition to supporting a great cause, the event has also delivered its share of unforgettable memories and “highlight reel” moments over the years. Several hole-in-ones have been recorded, including Ken Muir’s dramatic first shot of the day in 2010 and Dave Wheeldon’s unlikely ace on hole #13 – a 340-yard par four!
The classic has also attracted a cohort of VIPs, from Lui Passaglia and several of his B.C. Lions teammates to NHLers Byron Dafoe and Olie Kolzig and renowned First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers.
One year, Sportsnet broadcaster Dan Murphy attended and was the lucky winner of two tickets to anywhere WestJet flies – he graciously re-donated them and the amazing Dave Stevens auctioned them off, bringing in more than $2,000! Who will be the lucky winner this year?
From the foursome of Ed Leakey, Ian Leakey, Mike Hamilton and Roy Parker – the first names engraved on the tournament’s trophy – to the impressive team of Rod McLean, Jamie Edwards, Jeff Edwards and Grant Skelly – the tournament’s only three-time winners – the Hospital Foundation Classic has hosted some phenomenal golf. Participants have also walked away with thousands of dollars worth of auction items, and this year will be no exception.
“The business community has been wonderful, as usual, jumping on board and supporting the classic,” says Mulrooney. “We’re still looking for donations for the silent and live auctions, and there are even a few spots left for hole sponsors.
“We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the great job done by the organizing committee and the tournament sponsors: Crown Isle, Quality Foods, 97.3 The Eagle and of course Mindset Wealth,” he adds. “We’re building on the outstanding work done by Ron Weir from Royal Bank, who chaired the tournament for years before we stepped in.”
Reserve a spot for you or your team in the 25th annual St. Joseph’s General Hospital Foundation Golf Classic by contacting Rod Prieto at 250-703-5010 or rod@crownisle.ca. To sponsor a hole or donate an auction item, contact Rob Mulrooney or Russ Wigle at Mindset Wealth: 250-338-5222.
– St. Joseph’s General Hospital Foundation Golf Classic
