The annual indoor golf tournament raised over $4,000 for the Brechin-Mara Legion this weekend
For the past month it has felt like a non-stop blizzard outside. Yet, -30 degrees Celsius on Saturday couldn’t prevent local golfers from teeing off for a good cause in the cozy, warm interior of the Brechin-Mara Legion.
Over the past decade, the annual indoor golf tournament in Ramara has raised over $70,000 to support the Brechin-Mara Legion. The event started 32 years ago in the McIsaac family’s basement.
“This is an incredible event to break up winter,” said Keith Bell, not wearing his deputy mayor hat, but holding a hot bowl of chili.
“We have been coming for several years. I do remember it starting at Jim’s house and later at the Joyland Beach Hall before coming to the Legion. It is always a great family event,” said Bell.
Over $4,000 was raised this year, $1,600 of which was from admission tickets. For the past few years, funds have gone toward building renovations, like the accessibility features recently installed.
The basement space is now open to host over 200 people, adding to the upstairs capacity.
“Now we’re operating with two floors instead of one. We also have continuous hydro here if the power stops, and if there was a big emergency we have more capacity,” said Eddie Ste. Marie, the Legion’s third vice-president and building chair.
At holes one and 10 there were special prizes for getting a hole-in-one, donated by Steve McIsaac Carpentry and Space Age Insulation.
Prizes, hot food, and a summer sport helped many forget for a short time what Old Man Winter delivers.
“It’s always been a good time, you get to meet a lot of people from the community,” said Ste. Marie, noting the many new faces in attendance this year.