Eight Hamilton charities and community organizations are the beneficiaries of a total of $257,000 that was handed out recently by the Hamilton Golf and Country Club Foundation.
Hamilton Golf and Country Club will play host to the 2024 RBC Canadian Open May 28-June 2.
Local organizations including the Eva Rothwell Centre, Ancaster Community Services, St. Joe’s Youth and Wellness Centre, the Bob Kemp Hospice, CityKidz, Hamilton YWCA, the HGCC Foundation Bursary program and the Muscular Dystrophy Association each received support ranging from $20,000 to $70,000.
The funds were raised throughout 2023 primarily through the 51st Annual Dick Borthwick Memorial Golf Tournament and the Women’s Section Par for a Cause event, as well as individual HGCC member donations. The partnerships with the charities are all member sponsored.
The Eva Rothwell Centre has received a total of $120,000 in support from the HGCC Foundation over the past three years.
“On behalf of the army of children who benefit from our programs including the Larry Paikin Literacy Express train I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the support over the last three years. It makes a meaningful difference in the lives of so many youngsters who struggle to learn to read and write in our community,” says Program Manager Jordan Bailey, who has worked at the centre for the past nine years. He noted that children in the north end Hamilton community can be two and three years behind in their reading and writing skills from the grade they are in.
“I have watched a lot of these kids grow up from being young children into their teens and the progress many of them have made is incredible. It takes a village to make this impact and your support is invaluable. I want you to know we are changing the lives of kids for the better. It’s my favourite part of my job,” Bailey shared.
Members and guests at the cheque presentation heard similar impact stories and words of thanks.
The largest single payout went to the YWCA Hamilton building fund with a record amount of $70,000 raised by the Women’s Section through the Par for A Cause golf tournament organized by co-chairs Karen Llewellyn, Melanie Oster and Victoria Walzak Mosca.
Ancaster Community Services received $20,000 to purchase food for its foodbank. The Bob Kemp Hospice received $40,000 to assist with a building campaign for a new 10-bed pediatric hospice with construction set to start in the new year.
The HGCC Foundation is close to announcing 10 new member sponsored charity partners for three-year terms including 2024, 2025 and 2026. Over that time period, Foundation President Alan Scott anticipated the foundation will donate over $1 million to those charities.