While the final fundraising totals have yet to be tallied, Linda McDonald, tournament chair of the Fifth Annual Scramble for Literacy Golf Tournament, said this year’s event was a huge success.
“We had 21 teams and 84 golfers,” McDonald said. “It was great.”
The tournament, held Saturday at the Williams Lake Golf and Tennis Club and put on by the Cariboo Chilcotin Partners for Literacy and sponsored by Hewartland Toyota, helps raise funds for CCPL’s various programs run throughout the community.
Not including this year’s tournament, the Scramble for Literacy has raised more than $20,000 since it began in 2007.
The CCPL works with local citizens who have literacy challenges in an effort to increase literacy skills through one on one free adult tutoring, literacy awareness events such as Family Fest, the Children’s Festival, the Harvest Fair and workplace literacy initiatives.
Its newest addition, the Bright Red Bookshelf program, has been a huge success in the community and the funds from this year’s tournament will help the CCPL purchase books to keep the shelves stocked, said CCPL director Lil Mack.
“With hockey starting that’s one of our main areas for the Bright Red Bookshelf program [at the arena and the swimming pool],” Mack said. “Also, the funds will help us purchase books we donate to the Salvation Army’s Christmas hampers.”
Golfers in the tournament all received prizes, while a vintage Montreal Canadiens autographed Carey Price jersey was raffled off to Cathy Newell.
Adding to the literacy theme, golfers played a game of Scrabble as they played their rounds. Each time a team passed a par-three hole, they received a Scrabble piece. The team to spell out a tournament sponsor’s name with the highest points also won a prize. Winning the lowest score in the tournament was the team of Steve Simms, Rolph Schuetze, Joel Schuetze and Leo Michel.
The most honest team went to the Williams Lake Library.
“We had a great day and a great turnout,” McDonald said.
“We’re very thankful to Heartland Toyota for the sponsorship and to all the businesses in Williams Lake who supported us.”