Almost 100 golfers signed up to participate in the second annual H.W. McLean Construction Ltd. Charity Golf Tournament this past Saturday at Osoyoos Golf Club. The event helped raise more than $11,000, which will be split between the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, Parents’ Advisory Council at Osoyoos Elementary School and a bursary for a graduating student from Osoyoos Secondary School. Last year’s inaugural event raised $8,400. (Keith Lacey photo)
In just over one year, Osoyoos-based business partners Herb Wycherley and Len McLean, with strong support from their wives, have created an event that looks like it’s going to raise big bucks to help local residents for years to come.
The second annual H.W. McLean Construction Ltd. Charity Golf Tournament took over Osoyoos Golf Club this past Saturday with just under 100 players registered.
The inaugural event last September raised $8,400, while this year’s event will exceed just over $11,000, meaning the fundraising golf tournament has raised almost $20,000 in just over 12 months.
“It was just a great day,” said Pat Wycherley, who along with her husband, McLean and his wife Kirsten have worked hard to put this event on the map in Osoyoos. “We’ve had tremendous support from the local businesses, our personal friends and the business community who want to help support a great cause.
“We had perfect weather, a great turnout and we couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Proceeds from this year’s event will be split among three local children’s organizations, including the Osoyoos Child Care Centre, the Parents Advisory Council at Osoyoos Elementary School and a bursary to help a graduating student from Osoyoos Secondary School.
Wycherley said she and her husband and the McLeans will sit down in the next week or so and decide exactly how to split up the money raised and determine if the golf tournament will establish a permanent bursary for a student from the secondary school.
Osoyoos is one of the few communities where you can organize a fundraising event outdoors in early September and almost guarantee great weather and that has certainly played a part in the tournament becoming such a huge success in a short period of time, said Wycherley.
Staff and management from the Osoyoos Golf Club have been extremely supportive of the event and general manager Lee Sapach and head professional Drew Bolokoski had their own teams registered for this year’s event, she said.
“The staff at the golf course is just so wonderful and management went out of their way to help us out by sending all green fee players to the Desert Golf course so we could have the Park Meadows course to ourselves for the tournament,” she said. “The golf course goes out of its way to support good causes like this and I’m very proud to call myself a member of the Osoyoos Golf Club.”
The generosity of fellow business owners is amazing as several donated beautiful silent auction items and many others signed up to participate in the tournament, she said.
“We couldn’t have pulled this off the past two years without the amazing community support,” she said.
H.W. McLean Construction is proud to give back to the community and this tournament is here to stay.
“I already contacted the golf club about booking time for next year’s tournament in early September,” she said.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
