Family & Friends Charitable Golf Tournament was held in September and raised $32,300 in support of Hospice Huronia and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. The proceeds from the golf tournament are also a kick-off to launch ticket sales for the Family and Friends Drop the Ball raffle – a raffle with a bang! That’s the sound of up to 50,000 numbered golf balls falling on the golf course … dropped from a helicopter above.

The golf ball drop takes place September 10, 2022 with opportunities to win a prize in any of three early bird draws as well. The tickets are affordable – $10 each or 3 for $25, and the prizes are amazing! Local businesses have been incredibly supportive of the Drop the Ball raffle, sponsoring large-ticket items such as a Nissan car, a Sea-Doo personal watercraft and trailer, a Starcraft boat, motor & trailer, a snowblower, golf packages, trip packages and so much more.  

Tickets are available online at www.familyandfriendscharity.ca and will make great stocking stuffers and birthday gifts!

“People from all walks of life can find themselves in need of hospice or mental health services. We wanted to keep the raffle tickets affordable to give everyone a chance at these great prizes,” said Gerard La Chapelle. “Sponsors have been so generous in helping us pull together a slate of 30+ outstanding prizes so we’ll have many happy winners and ultimately families and individuals needing help from Waypoint and Hospice Huronia will benefit the most from everyone’s ticket purchases.”

“Tomkins House opened last year to provide a home away-from-home for end of life care,” said Debbie Kesheshian, Executive Director of Hospice Huronia. “It is fundraisers like this raffle and our generous community that allow us to offer our services and programs at no cost to our residents, clients or their families. Your ticket purchase helps families needing our compassionate hospice care or bereavement support and we’re so grateful.”

“We are enormously grateful to be partnering with Friends & Family and Hospice Huronia for this exciting fundraiser,” said Carol Lambie, Waypoint President and CEO. “The continued generosity of our community makes it possible for us to meet the growing demand for mental health and addictions support, treatment and care through the pandemic and beyond.” 

Gerard started the original Family & Friends Golf Tournament in memory of his wife, Gail, back in 2006. “We held a memorial tournament in October of 2006, in the snow and a group of us decided to make it an annual event,” he says. “In 2007 the Family & Friends Charitable Golf tournament officially began and has supported both Georgian Bay General Hospital and Georgian College in the past.”