What a day! Yesterday, I participated in the Medigas Celebrity Classic 2014 Golf Tournament. From the moment I arrived at Trillium Wood Golf Club, I was treated like a king. This tournament raises money for local charities and helps spread hope and joy in our community! The turn out was amazing and a fantastic time was had by all.

The Medigas Celebrity Classic is a non-profit charitable organization. Proceeds from this annual event support children that face physical challenges. It also assists young students in the advancement of their health care studies, during their pursuit of post secondary education. Previously this annual event was operated as the Rick Meagher Charity Golf Classic and it was originally established in 1988.

After 26 years and thanks to generous donations and money raised from the annual tournament, over $1,500,000 has been raised. Helping to support the needs of children with physical challenges in the Quinte area.

Additionally, it provides scholarships in support of local high school students in the advancement of their health care studies in post-secondary education. We also continue to support families with children facing physical challenges in the Quinte area.

Upon my arrival at the course, I was met by big smiles and hardy hellos from all the volunteers. Many of the young workers are recipients of the scholarships, but the more seasoned volunteers were affiliated with Medigas, the multitude of sponsors, or just willing helpers believing in a great cause. They doled out food and water, helped everyone find their way and hosted a putting competition where 3 balls for 5 dollars gave you a chance to win $500! Winning score was 90 points….it was not me!

Before heading to the links for a great round of golf, all the celebrities were introduced. It was outstanding to see some young and upcoming hockey stars, however the walk down memory lane with the old veterans was the best part. It was amazing to see so many celebrities willingly step forward to support this worthy cause! Their participation made the event a huge success and memorable for all participants.

As we snaked our way to the starting hole, 5A, we saw much of the front nine at Trillium Wood Golf Course. It is in fantastic shape and we were excited to start hitting the ball. The men played from the Blue tees, 6100 yards, and women from the Red tees. The course was set up extremely well for a scramble format. Depending on your team, scoring low may have been a challenge. Overall, I thought the combination of pin placements and tee box location was outstanding.

There was an opportunity to win many prizes! The two cars up for grabs was definitely the highlight of the treasures. As well, there was two more closest to the pin challenges and two longest drive opportunities. In the latter two cases, the entire team won a prize, not just the individual who made the miracle shot. This was a very nice touch! The speed of play was expected for 5 players on the team and the skill level of most players. Nobody minded because the weather was fantastic, company outstanding and facility top-notch!

I was fortunate enough to play with one of the major sponsors of this charity event. Mr Print is a locally built company that meets all needs for printing, graphic design and more throughout all of Canada! Norm Clifton and David Pepper, owner-operators, are two outstanding guys. The entire day was a pleasure! With plenty of laughs, stories, and teaching moments, I am grateful to have met them and look forward to playing another round of golf with them sometime in the near future. Thanks Norm and Dave for the outstanding day!

The celebrity player in our group was Charlie Graham. He is a soon to be hockey superstar who plays nets for the Belleville Bulls. A super nice young man, he entertained us with some stories of life on the rink, explained the rigorous training routine and his desire to play in the National Hockey League. Although he had a tough time stopping a TimBit thrown his way, he is obviously a gifted athlete and we wish him all the best as he pursues his dreams! Thanks Charlie!

The last member of our group was the long hitting Duffy McGuire. Duffy invited me to play in this event and I am grateful he thought to do so. In true “boys-will-be-boys” style, we heckled, cajoled, and jabbed each other for the entire round. It was as if we had our own internal game as neither would give an inch to the other. It was all in good fun and made the day even more memorable! Thanks Duffy!

After playing 18 holes in the hot sun, trying to score low, and making new friends, it was time for the meal and prizes. After putting our clubs away, we sauntered towards the club house where much to our surprise a volunteer was waiting with an ice-cold bowl of water, face clothes and drying towels! This was an outstanding idea as we cooled down and cleaned our face! Feeling totally refreshed, we walked in to the event tent for a delicious steak dinner! What a great way to finish the day.

At the end of the meal, the prizes were given out and the winners paraded around the room with their trophies held high. Lastly, there as an auction for memorabilia donated by the celebrities. This was a perfect way to cap off an outstanding charity event.

The Medigas Celebrity Classic 2014 was a tremendous success. Everyone walked around with smiles as they recounted their round. After 27 years, this event is as strong as ever due to the volunteers, sponsors and celebrities! More importantly, the real winners are the local charities who rely on events such as these to make their lives better. Thank you to the Medigas team and sponsors for showing true leadership within our community!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!