SUNDRE – Although none of the participants at the 2024 Sundre Elks Golf Tournament managed to score an ace, the fundraiser itself was arguably a resoundingly remarkable hole-in-one.
Held on Sunday, Aug. 18 at the Forest Heights Golf Course, the event’s 13th edition raked in a record amount of more than $10,000 after expenses, said Michelle Engelman, exalted ruler of the Sundre Elks Lodge No. 338.
“We were quite happy with that,” Engelman told the Albertan during a follow-up phone interview.
“Last year, we made just over $6,000,” she said, adding that previous totals had been in the vicinity of $2,000.
“All of the other years, we pretty much broke even,” she said.
Stepping into the role of fundraising coordinator last year, Engelman was grateful for all of the volunteers who stepped up to lend a helping hand.
“As a group, we’ll sit down and kind of figure out how we’re going to divvy donations back,” she said.
This year’s golf tournament fundraiser brought out 94 participants who formed teams of four.
“It was a really good turnout,” she said.
The golfers enjoyed a day of friendly competition along with a chance to socialize with plenty of opportunities to score some loot courtesy of more than 50 local businesses that donated items and otherwise supported the event.
There were door prizes, raffles, a 50-50 draw, as well as a silent auction boasting 11 items that included some coveted Kuma outdoor chairs, a patio heater as well as fully covered tee times including a golf cart for four at both Forest Heights as well as Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort.
“Those were definitely a hit as well,” she said about the silent auction items.
“They brought in a nice amount.”
Overall, organizers could not have hoped for a better outcome; both in terms of turnout and the record amount raised but also the conditions that day despite some on-and-off rain that weekend.
“By the time it started, the weather was perfect; it wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t windy – it was great,” she said.
One group even made a trip from Fort McMurray with others coming out from Calgary as well, she said.
“We had them coming from all over the place,” she said. “Everybody said that they had a great time.”
Next comes the task of deciding how to pay forward the community’s support that made the fundraiser so successful.
“This year, we do have a little bit more funds to play with,” she said.
“Our main goal as Elks members, is we focus on the children in the community first,” she said.
“We will look at community programs that deal with children, and then we usually try to pick a program to do with seniors and then of course groups that could be struggling a bit. Those are kind of how our priorities go.”
Fundraising remains an ongoing effort, and the local lodge is already planning the next events.
“I’ve always got things on my plate for fundraising,” she said.
The upcoming edition of the Bingo Marathon, which last year sold out in advance with proceeds going to the Sundre Community Van Society, is scheduled for Sept. 28 with funds raised this year going to the Sundre Nutrition for Learning Society.
Of course the success of fundraisers hinges entirely on both the support of local businesses as well as residents who come out to take part.
“It’s beyond words,” she said about the golf tournament’s outcome this year, going onto expresses appreciation for everyone involved in making it possible.
“This town is just the best,” she said. “To be in a small town and to be able to raise those kinds of prizes and funds is just unbelievable to me.”
