The Rocky Mountain Rotary (RMR) Club is calling golfers to tee up to send kids to camp for the summer, at their third annual RMR Golf Classic, set for June 25.
The charity event will take place at the Mickelson National Golf Club with registration and lunch starting at noon, followed by a shotgun start at 1 p.m. and an award ceremony and dinner to close off the day at 6:30 p.m.
This year proceeds raised by the tournament will be dedicated to the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation (GRPF) to help send kids to summer camp, said the RMR.
Over its five-year commitment to raise $50,000, RMR has so far raised around the $30,000 mid-way through that period, and is well on its way of achieving its goal.
In a special media event hosted at Cochrane Toyota, Rotarian Ryan Baum said that this year’s presenting sponsor for the tournament will be the Matt Rumpel Family Foundation. He explained that RMR has taken the same approach with their last two celebrity classics, adding that a roster of local legends plan to attend this year’s event.
“We’ve invited 36 celebrities from around the area to come join us,” Baum said. “So, every one of the teams that plays here that weekend will get a celebrity.
“We’re so excited," he added. "Most of them are former NHL players and some of [them] won the Stanley Cup and 89, some Olympians, and some media, and singers and songwriters. So, there's a good group of people that are going to join us for that that day.”
There are eight team slots left, but Baum says they are filling up quickly. He added that there are still sponsorship opportunities available.
“The extra side of it is that we have a silent and live auction happening. So, anyone who want to contribute to that, we’re accepting auction items. So, [there’s] great options to get involved.”
CEO for the GRPF, Jeromy Farkas, said the foundation is incredibly grateful for the lasting partnership, outlining that this is their fourth year in a row that they are able to offer this experience for kids in surrounding communities.
“Many of these kids have never actually been out of Calgary or gotten before, and for some of them it's the first time they’ve actually seen a horse and seeing a cow, which is always incredible,” Farkas said. “But seeing their smiles, their wide eyes, the incredible experiences, and the friendships that they make through the course of their week at Glenbow Ranch has just been incredible.”
Farkas said it costs the GPRF around $500 per camper.
“That's not what we charge the kids,” Farkas explained. “It's sort of what our cost is to put on the program. So, when it comes to incredible sponsorships like this, it allows us to keep the price lower than what otherwise we would have to charge.”
Over the course of the year, Farkas said they have anywhere upwards of 6,000 kids who come through the park, who learn outdoor leadership, while also forging new friendships. Through the support by RMR, it helps keep their fees affordable for families to send their children on these unforgettable experiences.
“We're pushing as hard as we can to build continue that record of success, and to make sure that it's always a meaningful and lasting connections that were making,” he said. “(It's) partnerships and connections with groups like RMR, that make it the incredible place that it is bringing into life.
“And there's just no better way to see the park brought to life, than hearing the hundreds of kids on a daily basis through their laughing, having incredible experiences.”
In closing, Farkas said he looks forward to the event, but challenges the community to see if the best golfers on the fairway are Cochranites or Calgarians.
“Coming from Calgary, I’ve been blown away by the hospitality and the support from groups like RMR for the GRPF,” Farkas said. “But that remains to be seen if that volunteerism and financial support translates to golfing performance.
“There’s only one way to see and one way to know, we’ll find out at the golf course in a couple of weeks.”
For more information on the tournament, where to sign up, and for sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.rockymountainrotary.com.
