All set to raise funds for Rimbey hospital improvements, the Frequent Flyer Golf Tournament takes off on July 6.
Registration starts at 8 a.m. at the Gull Lake Golf Course, with breakfast provided between 8 and 8:45 a.m. as well.
The tourney, for which there is a $120 fee, starts with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Breakfast and lunch are included in the fee.
Proceeds will go to support the Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee, with the specific goal of replacing the ADL/Recreation Therapy kitchen and recreation areas in the hospital's area three, and also bolstering wheelchair accessibility.
The fundraising goals are the same as the annual Father's Day Classic Charity Golf Tournament, which runs June 14 - and is hosted by the Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee.
Wetaskiwin Health Foundation is the parent (organization) to the Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee overall, said Ivette de Bruyn, who is one of the committee members for the Frequent Flyer Golf Tournament.
All the fund raised are also going towards the ADL/Recreation Therapy kitchen, which faces challenges that hinder its ability to fully support the physical, cognitive, and social well-being of residents.
"Ultimately, the Frequent Flyer Golf Tournament is run in collaboration with the Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee," said de Bruyn..
She also said committee members are very excited to team up with the Legacy Committee, as the funds raised go to support such a worthy cause.
There are five people on the Frequent Flyer committee - Carla and Eamon McCann (owners of the golf course), Shirley Knauft, Diana Humphreys, Patrick Rurka (Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee chair), and de Bruyn.
Last year was the inaugural event.
"We decided to give the tournament a chance and see what it could do - and it was very successful," said de Bruyn, adding the event raised more than $11,000 for the hospital.
"We hope that we can do the same this year." About 35 people signed up last year, and de Bruyn is hoping to see that number double this time around. A silent auction will also be held during the event.
"We are hoping we can have two teams, so 72 golfers," she said. "Some people can't play in the tournament, and ask how they can help us. We say through donations to the Rimbey Hospital Legacy Committee, or by donating silent auction items."
The auction will open on July 4, so folks can bid through the weekend.
de Bruyn added that a registration deadline has been set for July 2, and those interested in joining can do so by contacting the Gull Lake Golf Course.
She noted that having the event at Gull Lake also is beneficial, as golfers come from across the region to enjoy the site. "So you can reach a lot of people through that as well - you can draw from a bigger area."
For de Bruyn, seeing this event meet with such solid success from the get-go has been very encouraging.
"We are privileged to have the hospital that we do, and to have the doctors and nurses here in our community. Our emergency room is always open - you hear of hospitals where emergency rooms will close because they don't have physician coverage.
"We always have the coverage. So yes, it makes me feel very blessed to be in a small, rural town with a fully-functioning hospital. It was a good feeling (to see that support last year), and that is why I'm also very excited for this year."
She also mentioned that anyone who doesn't wish to golf but who would like to offer their support in some other way can attend the lunch for $35.
"They are more than welcome, and they can also support us by bidding on the silent auction items."
