Innisfail – The Red Deer chapter of Ducks Unlimited Canada has hit the links to host its first local golf fundraiser.
The Florida Golf Scramble, a one-day event, took place at the Innisfail Golf Club on May 26.
“This is a first for Ducks Unlimited in Innisfail,” said Bill Dougan, manager of events and volunteers for Central Alberta with the Red Deer chapter of Ducks Unlimited Canada. “It’s a way for us to raise funds to help us protect wetlands."
The sold out golf tournament included 100 golfers from across Alberta, participating in 25 four-person teams, he noted.
The event kicked off with a shotgun start at 2 p.m. followed by an evening at the golf club that included games, live and silent auctions, tournament prizes and a dinner.
“For our first event here, it’s great,” said Dougan. “Innisfail has a first class golf course. That was one of the reasons why we chose to hold the tournament in Innisfail,” he added, noting Innisfail’s golf pro Jim Boomer’s help with the fundraiser.
“He helped us immensely to get this event off the ground.”
All proceeds raised are going towards local projects across Central Alberta.
“Within a 100 kilometre radius of Red Deer, we’ve got 320 projects,” said Dougan. “We’ve secured (more than) 66,000 acres and we’ve invested to date $27,369,517 in this Central Alberta area. That would include the Innisfail area."
Volunteers with the Innisfail Fish and Game Club were also on hand to help with the golf tournament.
Christen Sweet, Red Deer chapter chair for Ducks Unlimited, said the golf tournament helped raise money and awareness for local projects.
Tournament planning began about eight months ago, she said, with a focus on the important wetlands at the Innisfail Golf Course.
This past winter Ducks Unlimited in Red Deer partnered with the Innisfail chapter of the Alberta Junior Forest Wardens.
“We had nest boxes built. Those same nest boxes were stained by the golf club and are on the golf course today,” she said. “They actually have nests in them.
“It’s really been a community effort,” she added.
With 10 nest boxes now on the course there are plans to add another 10 next year, noted Sweet.
“We’ve already got that commitment from the Innisfail Golf Club that we’re going to do this again,” Sweet concluded.
