The Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 15 in Cochrane is calling on golfers to take their swing at the 2023 Legion Golf Tournament, which is set to tee off on Sept. 10.
The tournament will take place at the Cochrane Golf Club and will have a shotgun start at 9 a.m. The cost for entry will be $100 for members of the Legion, and the cost for non-members will be $125.
Chairperson for the Legion Golf Tournament, May Bigelow, said the money raised from the tournament will be used to update and renew the infrastructure of the Legion’s building. Along with newly installed air conditioning after going without it for a few years, they are also in the middle of an ongoing restoration.
“We had a sewer back up earlier this year that virtually made a whole section of the building downstairs not viable for use and affected our programming a lot,” Bigelow said. “And as a building ages, there’s lots of upkeep too, . . . [and] we need to make the legion viable for younger vets as well.”
More than just standard golf, the tournament will host a variety of contests and events that will take place throughout the day, including a hole-in-one contest, 50-50 draw, a closest to the pin contest, and many other activities.
“Some of the contests we have are Ladies’ and Men’s longest drive, sand trap, and the water hole drive,” Bigelow said.
Although the Legion usually hosts a separate, members-only tournament, due to time constraints this year, the Sept. 10 tournament will also be the stage of the first annual Veteran’s Golf Tournament, which will honour the late Chief Warrant Officer Micheal Baranosky.
As the daughter of a veteran, Bigelow said the Legion is a beacon for veterans and first responders as it helps provide services to those who protected Canadians’ rights and freedoms in conflicts around the world.
“My dad was a Second World War veteran, and I will always be grateful for the sacrifices of men and women that have given me the freedom to live in the peaceful nation of Canada,” she said. “If it were not for them and all the defender of democracy, where would we be?”
She added that everyone needs to keep their memories and service alive, so the future generations can learn from both older and younger veterans.
“It’s not just the older veterans, but we have a lot of young veterans that need help,” Bigelow said. “They come back and they have trouble adjusting or they come back with PTSD and other medical issues, and we need to open up for them and many other ways.”
Bigelow said she appreciates the work of all the volunteers who are responsible in helping bring this event together.
“We appreciate all our volunteers,” she said. “Our volunteers are worth a million dollars in my summation, and anyone that wishes to volunteer can come and see us.”
Bigelow also invites members of the community who are interested in participating in the tournament to purchase a membership for the legion for the remainder of the year half the full price, and to purchase a registration for the tournament at a lower cost.
Those interested in registering for the tournament may do so by vising the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 15 on 114 Fifth Ave. The facility is open Monday to Friday after 4 p.m. or on Saturdays after 2 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at the bar.
