Our Golf Tournament season ended in a spectacular way, as the Mike McCann Charity Golf Tournament announced that it raised $1,390,000 for various organizations, including the Ottawa Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, and Sun Youth. This charity event, which has raised over 7 million dollars in the last 20 years, was held by the CLV group and InterRent REIT on September 22nd at the Meadows Golf & Country Club in Ottawa.
The CLV group and its CEO, Mr. McGahan, have been strong supporters of Sun Youth for many years, also volunteering their time at our food bank around the Christmas Holidays. Their tournament was named in memory of Mike McCann, who started the event and who passed away from cancer in February 2019. His good friend, Mike McGahan, president and CEO of CLV Group and executive chairman of InterRent REIT reported to the Ottawa Business Journal that he never knew how much work his late friend used to put in to organise the event.
Fatima Amaral and George Salsa know all about hard work. They too, organise a golf tournament in memory of a loved one, their son Matthew, who tragically passed away in 2012. At 18 years old, Matthew was completely dedicated to his passion, playing golf, and more importantly, was a great individual and a model citizen. Admirably, Matthew’s parents have chosen to pledge the funds raised from their son’s tournament to helping others, following in his footsteps, as he was known for his generosity and selflessness throughout his short life.
Both these events, as well as profits from our own golf tournament in memory of Sun Youth Alumni, Mordy Gordon, bring much-needed funds to our youth programs. They are in fact essential to ensure that hundreds of children and youth can participate in athletics, arts, and after-school programs – kids who might otherwise not have had the chance.
These contributions are essential for our youth. The practice of sports is beneficial on several levels. It allows children to develop lasting friendships and adopt healthy lifestyles. It also has several positive effects on motivation and on mental health in general. Our ultimate goal is to encourage at-risk youth to pursue post-secondary education, often helping them get scholarships that will allow them to progress to a higher level, both in their studies and in their sport.
