KidSport Parkland Tourney Journeys On So All Kids Can Play
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-09-22
By GORD MONTGOMERY, Inside Golf
SPRUCE GROVE, Alberta — In our changed world, some of the things one took for granted in golf, like fund-raising tournaments, have taken a big hit this year. But, through the diligent efforts of some, there have been a few special events played out, with strict social distancing guidelines followed.
Case in point was the 8th Annual KidSport Parkland tournament, which was originally scheduled for June but ended up being pushed back almost three months because of the pandemic. Even so, the field for the event, designed to provide funding to ensure kids in the area can register for sports when their parents/guardians can’t afford those fees, was once again full. To that end, tee times were booked for every 10 minutes as opposed to the usual shotgun starts of the past.
“By out standards, we were sold out again, 120 players. Whether it’s swimming, playing hockey, football, soccer, whatever it is, we’re here to give them a hand,” said organizer Grant Cammidge.
Cammidge, who was manning the mic at the first tee to introduce players, said it’s a different world in tournament golf these days, but one does what must be done to carry on.
“This is probably the easiest way to run an event. It makes for a longer day, but it is easier to run. It fits into people’s schedules better with tee times. You know what? We originally have this event in June, and we hope to get back to June sometime, but we’re just happy to have this and raise funds for kids.”
While there weren’t really any major obstacles to overcome in staging this particular tournament, Cammidge noted that the host golf course, The Links at Spruce Grove, and the participants were all well aware of the new on-course guidelines that surround COVID-19 protocols. The day went off without a hitch, and while there was no large banquet and prize distribution at the end, players were still fed, and honoured, in a socially distanced manner as they finished their rounds.
The end result of all this was the fact that more kids will be able to play sport thanks to the financial generosity of the players and the time committed by organizers.
As to the dollar amounts raised this year and over the lifetime of the tournament, Cammidge noted, “We’re going to exceed over a quarter of a million (dollars) after this event, that will likely raise about $25,000. We thought it maybe wasn’t going to happen this year, so that’s really good,” in an effort to let All Kids Play.