THUNDER BAY – It was a cause for celebration at Strathcona Golf Course on Friday.
For the last two decades, golfers have hit the links for the Mayor’s Mulligan, which raises money for PRO Kids.
Pat Berezowski, the supervisor of golf services for the city of Thunder Bay, said the tournament has always been well-supported.
“One of the things that happens when you run an event is that you are wondering if people are going to sign up,” said Berezowski, who has been involved in 17 Mayor’s Mulligans.
“That’s not the case with this tournament. Everyone jumps in to enter and that makes things really easy for us.
“We also have a great group of volunteers that come out to set everything up for the day so that everyone can enjoy their time here at Strathcona.”
PRO Kids is a registered charity that helps low-income families access recreational activities for their kids in Thunder Bay.
“Last year alone, we helped over 1,200 kids participate in sports,” said PRO Kids coordinator Amanda Prien.
“We raise at least $20,000 every year at this tournament . . . enough to put 20 kids into hockey, which as we all know is a very expensive sport.”
Over 100 golfers were divided up into 26 teams for this year's tournament, which raised over $32,000.
Mayor Ken Boshcoff was among those teeing off and was proud to see the continued support that the Mayor’s Mulligan has had since he was involved in the inaugural edition.
“PRO Kids has proven its value to the community and through the number of young people that they have helped because of this tournament,” Boshcoff said.
“It’s incalculable in terms of the number of benefits that this brings and I think it’s validated by the sponsors and the participants that lend their support each year.”
