SUPER BOWL: Lawn Summer Nights, a lawn bowling tournament that raises money for cystic fibrosis research, started six years ago in honour of the late Eva Markvoort, the star of the documentary 65 Red Roses, which chronicled her battle with cystic fibrosis. Since then, the four-week fundraiser, sponsored by KPMG, has seen supporters throwing bowls across the country, with Calgary and Halifax the latest to join longtime participating cities Vancouver, Victoria, London, Ottawa and Toronto in the wildly popular summertime event. Led by event chair Simon Pinsky — who has a younger sister living with CF — more than 160 costumed pretty young things converged on the greens of the Granville Park Lawn Bowling Club. Organizers look to roll past the $1 million mark this year, a milestone that Pinsky hopes will spread awareness of the disease and help change the CF acronym to “cure found.”
AFTERNOON TEE: The B.C. Hospitality Foundation’s annual charity golf tourney at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club attracted some of the industry’s biggest names. With a reputation of serving wine and cocktails at each hole, it’s no wonder the golf gala was yet another sellout. In partnership with the B.C. Hotel Association, B.C. Restaurant & Foodservice Association, Alliance of Beverage Licensees of British Colmbia, B.C. Lodging and Restaurants Canada, more than 200 golfers hit the links for an afternoon of fun and games (and drinking) before enjoying a royal repast back at the 19th hole. The event generated nearly $80,000 toward assisting those in the hospitality industry in times of financial need. Among those who came out swinging: foundation chair Richard Carras and B.C. Lions players Marc Iannuzzi and Adam Bighill.
UP MARKET: The University Golf Club hosted the third annual Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange Charity Golf Tournament July 15. Industry participants including listed issuers, investment bankers, brokers, and lawyers took part in the Texas Scramble-style tournament and fundraising dinner chaired by Robert Kang and Sonia Harding. Several hundred golf enthusiasts hit the links swinging for local, national and international charities. Beneficiaries this year were the Learning Disabilities Association of B.C., the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and Room to Read. Yours truly emceed the award festivities back at the clubhouse. Green was definitely the prominent hue as the bullish group, buoyed by an impressive silent auction and spirited reverse auction, generated nearly $100,000 for the various organizations.
