THUNDER BAY – Although he knew the final number would be a big one, Ronald McDonald House Charity Golf Tournament chair Chris Holland had no idea how much money had come in during the 2024 edition of the event.
Holland was in for a pleasant surprise on Friday night at the Fort William Country Club when he learned that a record total of $120,000 had been raised for the Ronald McDonald Houses in Toronto and London.
“I was watching them write the cheque but I didn’t know what the total was until they handed it to me on the stage,” Holland said. “It was a big surprise for me as well as everyone else there.
“It’s an amazing total for sure and it’s a huge momentum builder for us as it makes us want to do even better for next year.”
A total of 144 golfers took part in this year’s tournament, which was the 24th edition of the event.
In addition to funds raised through Friday’s golf, a 50/50 draw was held on Saturday with the winner getting $8,830.
Tickets for the raffle were sold online to anyone in Ontario.
Now that this year’s tournament is in the books, plans are already underway for the 25th anniversary edition of the event.
“That’s a huge milestone for us,” Holland said. “There aren’t many golf tournaments or events for that matter that have lasted that long.
“We have some ideas to make it as big as possible. There will be some guests from the past that we’re going to try and get back here for it.”
The 2025 edition of the tournament will be held on Sept. 11, which is around the traditional date for the event before it was moved to up to late August in recent years.
More information on the Ronald McDonald House Charity Golf Tournament can be found on the event’s website.
