Golfing for a cause

Zafir Nagji, Sports Editor | 

Sports have become a huge facet of the global entertainment industry. From team sports like basketball to individual competitions like tennis, athletics garner interest from a diverse group of fans and gross huge revenue figures on the biggest stages. However, it’s important to take a break from the corporate world of mainstream sports entertainment and be reminded of the value that local sports present in bringing a community together. 

That aspect was exemplified at the 14th Annual Mountain View Seniors’ Housing Foundation (MVSHF) Charity Golf Classic, hosted by the Carstairs Community Golf Club (CCGC) on Sept. 12, 2024. Intended to raise funds for Mountain View Seniors Housing (MVSH), which supports over 500 individuals across Mountain View County, the tournament holds a strong place in the hearts and minds of community members in Carstairs, Cremona, Didsbury, Olds, and Sundre. 

Joyce Wicks, who resides in the Sundre lodge and has been involved with MVSHF since its inception in 2003, believes their role is quintessential in caring for the older population.

“I was here in 2010 when [the tournament] was being hosted in Carstairs and at the time, I had three relatives in Carstairs and Didsbury lodges,” Wicks said. “MVSH has been a solid organization for many years and the housing body has been supporting seniors in our communities since the early ‘60s. What a wonderful difference it made for our senior residents to have the support of nutritious meals. Their health often improved because of the nutrition, socialization and safety.”

In 2023, the 13th iteration of the event raised a record $30,000. MVSHF has raised more than $230,000 cumulatively through their annual tournament to fund exciting activities and provide specialized furniture and equipment to foster safe, homestyle environments for Albertan seniors.

Stacey Stilling, Chief Administrative Officer of MVSH, felt grateful for the incredible show of support displayed at last year’s event and was overwhelmingly excited about the growth of the event this year.

“This is our 14th year, last year was our most successful and we broke every record we ever set last year,” Stilling said. “We had the most golfers last year, we sold the most Mulligan tickets, we sold out of our 50/50 tickets, and we also had the most volunteers last year, although I think we’ve now surpassed that this year… Seeing the community come together to understand what it is we do, how we do it, and how we use the money, it’s really nice to see that they want to support it.”

Providing appropriate care for the senior population in Alberta. is of utmost importance as, according to the MVSH website, they will account for 25 per cent of the projected 6.4M people in the province. Resident of the Didsbury lodge, Laura Krebs, expressed her own gratitude for the organization’s relentless efforts to take care of the elderly population.

“[MVSH] are working, supporting and helping us,” Krebs said. “I really never golf, but it’s so good that everybody does pitch in and help and sponsor us.” 

Krebs came to know about MVSH at a crucial time in her life and has never looked back since.

“I had got COVID and I was quite sick and was able to get into the lodge and they just take wonderful care of me… You’re never eating alone and there’s always activities to do and people to visit with.”

The forecast initially indicated a warm end-of-summer day for golfers to enjoy, but a rainy weather system found its way onto the course. Still, smiles shined all over the course in lieu of the absent Alberta sun. Participants from all ages, backgrounds and skill levels toughed it out in jackets and ponchos to raise money for the MVSHF. 

Sundre mayor Richard Warnock was in attendance to help host the putting competition, where contestants competed for some high-value prizes. However, Warnock was most impressed by the strength of the competitors enduring those trying conditions.

“This is Alberta. We can get weather like today, rainy and cold, and we still have that spirit from the people that come out,” Warnock said. “I think everyone knows we look after our seniors in our community in Mountain View County, and if you’ve got a chance to come out and play in this tournament, have some fun and visit with us, we’d welcome you.”

Hyperinflation has led to a rapidly rising cost of living across the nation. Finding an affordable place to call home is almost impossible for seniors in Alberta, according to MVSH director of operations, Susan Read.

“I think we all know there’s a housing crunch at all levels of society in Canada, in this province, in this county and we’re only going to see that increase as baby boomers turn 65 and up,” Read said. “We just want to provide a safe, affordable, comfortable home-like environment for those individuals today and in the years and weeks to come.”

Executive assistant of MVSH, Chayla Bjorkman, was the star of another minigame as she dressed in an eagle costume for the Hole 16 Eagle Challenge. Teams were tasked with getting their ball into the Par-4 hole in just two strokes to win some free drinks. Bjorkman’s passion for supporting the senior population kept her eagle suit warm in the damp, windy conditions.

“It’s just been an honour to work with this company for just over half my life,” Bjorkman said. “It’s really rewarding work knowing that we’re making lives for our seniors a bit better in their new homes and making nursing homes and senior’s homes not so industrial and make them look more like a home, somewhere we would want to be.”

With a great cause to play for, the golfers mounted their carts and carried their clubs out onto the course, competing to achieve the most holes in the least swings. Mount Royal University’s own Josh Dick and his squad fought through the tough conditions and eked out the win, taking home prize bags and a spectacular trophy.

“The wind is going to have an effect on your ball no matter what and the rain causes your ball to not go as far as you’re used to seeing when playing in ideal weather conditions,” Dick said. “It was definitely tough out there but we made it work… We really cleaned up tonight, all of us, bringing home one thing or another. I was excited for all three of us with the prizes we brought home tonight.”

“My mom’s boyfriend Gary Morris, my uncle Dan Stilling, and I have been playing tournaments together for the last three years and we haven’t won until now. It’s a huge victory for all three of us and we’ll definitely have to come back next year to defend our title.”

Dick’s team also won the CIP Office Technology accuracy challenge. Contestants on Hole 7 were encouraged to aim their driving shots at a large plastic container 207 yards away from the men’s tee or 137 yards away from the women’s tee to win a Fujitsu scanner worth over $2,000. The scanner appeared at four different golf tournaments this year with no golfers able to claim it, but CIP’s Melissa Jones was relieved to award their scanner to Dick’s uncle.

“It felt good because it’s extraordinarily heavy, so we were getting a little sick and tired of packing it up and taking it around with us,” Jones said with a laugh. “It was really awesome to see somebody hit it. His accuracy was incredible, he was taking into consideration the wind, his slice, the rain played a factor as well, so that moment was pretty special.”

The 14th Annual Mountain View Seniors’ Housing Foundation Charity Golf Classic lived up to and exceeded the expectations set by the incredible turnout of 2023, bringing in a record number of volunteers and testing the commitment and weather resistance of participants. Rotating to different towns in the Mountain View County each year, the tournament is projected to be held in Sundre next year. MVSHF hopes to continue building on the burgeoning legacy of their tournament and provide the senior population of Alberta with the support and care they need and deserve, one putt at a time.