Annual Golf Tournament Raises the Bar for Financial Assistance Programme
Under the bright red sky of a stunning fall morning, the St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) community came together on October 5 to support our students at the annual golf tournament.
This year’s tournament returned to Vaughan’s beautiful Eagles Nest Golf Club. The full slate of 144 golfers consisted of alumni, parents, friends, and business partners from the SMCS community who came together for a day of fun in support of the Financial Assistance Programme. This programme assists young men with a financial need with the opportunity to attend St. Michael’s College School. Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $715,000 for the programme.
With the dedication and determination of a new committee, the tournament raised over $65,000, making it one of the most successful tournaments. Many thanks to our sponsors: Platinum – Fitzrovia; Gold – Solmar, DDL, Rampart, Ridley, RWM, DG Group, BJRC, Capo Sgro LLP; and Silver – Chartwell.
In anticipation of a morning shotgun start, golfers arrived early to use the complimentary practice facilities, enjoy breakfast, and register, where they received a custom SMCS Under Armour quarter-zip and an Eagles Nest baseball hat. New this year, each golfer also received a sleeve of sponsored golf balls courtesy of Screemers, ICP Securities INC, KAPP, and the Nunno Group, thus providing each golfer with a dozen golf balls.
“This was by far the best version of the tournament I have attended,” says Martin Fox ’02. “Eagles Nest is a destination and a true challenge for all golfers, and it was great to see a new cohort of SMCS grads between the ’00 – ’15 period come out and participate this year.”
As part of the day’s festivities, golfers participated in a putting contest to win a Spyder Putter and a raffle to win a foursome at Eagles Nest. A silent auction during the luncheon featured various items, from SMCS Arena ice time to Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Jo Malone products.
“It was great meeting so many St. Michael’s alumni and seeing their continuing devotion to the school and its mission,” says John Connelly, SMCS Director of Student Affairs. “It was especially nice to encounter several young alumni, many of whom I have had the pleasure to know in English or Guidance.”
Following the round, golfers gathered for a luncheon where Adam Ouimet ’02 spoke from the heart about the impact the Financial Assistance Programme had on him during his years at SMCS. Each academic year, St. Michael’s awards over $2 million in assistance to 20 per cent of the student population.
Chris Smith ’02 and his foursome ended the day with a score of 60 (-11) to win the tournament! J.P. O’Neill ’86 and Rod Jackson were also big winners, with O’Neill winning an Eagles Nest foursome, and Jackson winning the Spyder Putter from the putting contest.
“Other than winning, our favourite thing was seeing a lot of younger alumni return for the tournament this year, many of whom we hadn’t seen since we graduated,” says Smith. “I think the proximity of the course this year helped some people who had never participated before make it out. The golf tournament is a great day full of food and laughs all while giving back to the school, if you haven’t participated or sponsored before I highly suggest getting involved. We’ll be back next year to defend our title, I look forward to seeing everyone again and maybe even some new faces.”
Thank you to the Golf Committee under the leadership of co-chairs Brian Bannan ’96 and Brady Jones ’01, the golfers, donors, supporters, and volunteers who participated and supported this year’s golf tournament, making it a tremendous success!
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