The BC Special Olympics Trail (BCSOT) has won another great partnership, teaming up with Champion Lakes Golf Club and sponsors Whitlock Insurance Services and Maglio Building Centre to help the golf team hone its game.
Last season, Champion Lakes Golf Course took the initiative and helped out the special Olympic golf team with a couple memberships, but this year Champion’s board members took it to a new level.
“Well we decided if we were going to get involved, let’s get involved,” said Champion Lakes president Darryle Kohlman. “They were taken back last year when we gave them the golf, and when we were standing up there one of the golfer’s fathers got a little emotional about the whole thing because you could tell it was very much appreciated.”
Kohlman also recruited Bob Whitlock from Whitlock Insurance and Pat Beauchamp from Maglio’s as sponsors to purchase golf shirts and hats for the BCSOT golf team and coach. In addition, Champion Lakes contributed five memberships, free access to the range, and coaching assistance from club pro Kevin Nesbitt.
“It’s definitely going to help,” said Nesbitt. “It’s a great opportunity to actually be involved with the community and an organization like BCSOT.”
Nesbitt coached the junior boys golf team to a B.C. Summer Games silver medal in July and says assisting the Special Olympian coaches Robb MacHattie and Ben Postmus will be a good fit and a lot of fun.
The BCSOT golfers include Serena Lapointe, Charlotte MacHattie, Jake Miller and Ken Bjorgan. In addition to golf, the multi-sport athletes compete in a number of regional and provincial tournaments throughout the year, ranging from soccer and floor hockey, to swimming, skiing, and snowshoeing.
Athletics is an important part of the lives of the Special Olympians, and to have a community group and businesses chip in and donate personal time, club shirts, and memberships is truly remarkable and unique to Greater Trail, says Postmus.
“We are the envy of every local in the province,” said Postmus. “We have five memberships for the year that the club has given us. It’s unheard of anywhere else. The same with skiing . . . when they hear we do that here, they ask, ‘how do you do that?’ Well we have tremendous community support, that’s the big thing, a big buy-in by our community.”
Postmus was also selected as associate coach to the Special Olympic National Golf team that will compete in the World Special Olympic Games in Los Angeles, July 25 to Aug. 2.
Father’s Day Golf Tournament.
The Fathers Day Charity Golf Tournament is in full swing again this year as it tees off at Champion Lakes on June 21.
Last year 80 golfers joined in on the event sponsored by Columbia Filter with funds raised going to the B.C. Special Olympics local in Trail.
There will be prizes galore including two chances to win $30,000 on par 3 hole-in-ones, an Okanagan golf trip, airfare for two, hotel and BC Lions tickets, a signed Travis Lulay jersey and more.
Hole sponsors are sold out, but there are still spots open for father-son and/or father-daughter teams. Entry fee is $125.00 per team which includes nine holes of golf, dinner and a Fathers Day prize.
This will be the seventh year for the event. Teams interested in joining for this fun day contact Ben Postmus at 231-7712.