In the grip of a pandemic, it's vital for the community to step up to the plate when it comes to supporting local non-profits.
That's what pushed Joe Rooney to participate in Captain's Invitational Golf Tournament, this year's re-invented version of the annual Glenn Howard Charity Classic that raises funds for the Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Foundation. The 'regular' tournament had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.
The Penetang resident has played in the tournament for about 15 years.
"I was born in Midland Hospital (now called Georgian Bay General Hospital)," said Rooney, who was at the Midland Golf & Country Club Friday afternoon. "The hospital is a core part of any successful town. If you want to have a successful vibrant town, people want to know there's always a place they can go to be taken care of.
"If everybody is not giving back to that place, it's not going to be there when they need it," he added. "My family is here and it's really important that everybody in the community chips in anyway they can."
Rooney said, in his eyes, it's critical that people give back to the hospital during a global pandemic to support the people that are working there amid so many unknowns.
The tournament was reimagined when Marco Mancini, chairman and chief executive officer of Urbacon (a Toronto-based construction company) approached Glenn Howard, who has hosted the tournament for the last four years.
"We can't just forget about the hospital in these times when they need it the most," said Mancini, who has been donating to the hospital through the GBGH Foundation for 18 years. He stepped up with $50,000 this year.
"So we came up with this Captain's Invitational, with shorter groups and making it COVID-friendly for everyone and still gather donations that the hospital needs at these times."
Howard said he couldn't thank Mancini enough for his generosity over the years.
"When I took over the tournament, (his help) continued," said Howard. "A couple of years ago he said to me, 'If you keep doing this tournament, I'm going to donate half a million dollars over the next 10 years.'"
Mancini, who has had a summer home in the area for 22 years, said he's well on target.
"We're making more this year," he said. "I think this tournament is going to raise a lot of money this time.
"My kids have been to this hospital growing up," Manicini added. "And it's a rural community so they need our support even more. When I raise funds for Toronto General Hospital, the numbers are astronomical, so why can't we raise the same amount of money up here that really need it?"
With most fundraising events cancelled due to the pandemic, Howard said, the biggest loser seemed to be the hospital.
"Because they don't get the funds and the don't get the extra donations ... to be able to pull this off is going to be remarkable."
Nicole Kraftscik, executive director, GBGH Foundation, says the pandemic has not slowed down people's generosity, which is visible in the fact that this year's executive tournament, which was registering four players for $8,000, is completely sold out with 56 golfers.
In the last four years or so alone, she said, the tournament has raised over $500,000.
"That's been going to help surgical expansion at the hospital," said Kraftscik. "There's about $20,000 more to go for that. Then the rest of the money will go toward the most critical needs at the hospital this year."
One of the most critical needs this year has been COVID-related, she said.
"The hospital had to spend $500,000 to respond (to the pandemic) and support (its staff)," said Kraftscik. "Some of the money will go to that and some will go towards other projects. Because those projects don't stop even if COVID is here."
She said to be able to sell out the tournament was an incredible demonstration of people wanting to support their community hospital.
"Supporting your home community is extremely important," said Kraftscik. "We have seasonal residents that are here. We have community that lives here year-round. They're all coming together, opening up their wallets. Businesses have suffered, individuals have suffered but still the community has found a way to say, 'Let's step up and help.'"
