Long-term care home helps with fundraiser
Friday October 19, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Volunteers and staff at Mattawa’s Algonquin Nursing Home have played a key role in helping the CEDA Reactor and Bondfield Construction Mattawa Hospital Charity Golf Classic raise more than $207,000 in five years, says Linda McConomy, Algonquin Nursing Home volunteer and the event’s fundraising chair.

For the past five years, there have been ongoing fundraising activities from within the community to help Mattawa General Hospital get a new building. This year’s event — which marks the last time the event will be held — garnered $63,000.

“There has always been a good partnership between the nursing home and the hospital,” says McConomy.

This year’s tournament was held Aug. 22. A big part of the two-day event is the pre-tournament boat cruise on Lake Champlain and the barbecue which follows. McConomy and her husband, Barry, host the barbecue at the couple’s lakeside home.

Algonquin Nursing Home provided the food and the cooks for the barbecue.

“It was a true success,” says McConomy. “Everybody meets on the night before and then they’re friends by the Wednesday golf tournament.”

More than 120 people participated in this year’s tournament, including some who came from across the country. The event also featured notable personalities, including Jeff Hutcheson from CTV’s Canada AM, and North Bay radio personality Scott Clark.

Together, Hutcheson and Clark hosted an auction following the tournament, which raised $26,345. After the auction, guests were treated to a prime rib dinner.

McConomy attributes the success of the event over the past five years to the many fun components the tournament offers, as well as to the way the event is branded. This year, CTV offered free TV commercials to advertise the tournament.

The more fun the event is, the more it motivates people to participate, adds McConomy.

“I really believe that it’s the first day. That gets people together and that makes the golf day really good, as well,” she says. “It’s different from just a normal golf tournament.”