MINDEMOYA—Thanks to the efforts of the Providence Bay and Spring Bay Lions Club and a very generous Manitoulin Island community, over $8,500 was raised in a fundraising golf tournament that will benefit the Manitoulin Secondary School robotics team.
“I’m really glad that we got to see everyone here today and we are so grateful for all of your support and contributions. It makes all of us really happy,” stated Alexandra Wilson-Zegil, a member of the Manitoulin Secondary School Manitoulin Metal Robotics FRC 6865 team after the Lions Club’s hugely successful first annual golf tournament. The 18-hole tournament was held at the Brookwood Brae Golf Course in Mindemoya this past Saturday. She acknowledged the efforts of the Lions Club for putting on the event, all the sponsors, participants in the tournament, those who provided prizes for a silent auction held as part of the tournament and all those people who purchased 50/50 draw tickets.
Chris Bryan, president of the Lions Club said the MSS Robotics team, “is a real inspiration to all of us, for how well you have done for Manitoulin Island and going to Houston. We are proud of the team.”
“I want to thank everyone for coming out to participate in and support the Lions, MSS and the tournament here today,” said Mr. Bryan. “And to everyone who was a sponsor, provided prizes for the silent auction and those who bid on the silent auction items, everyone who purchased tickets on the 50/50 draw.”
“I can’t express how much this means to the (MSS) kids,” stated Mr. Bryan. “Through all of your support we raised $8,561.98 today for the MSS team.”
Mr. Bryan noted the generosity of Todd Tomlinson, of Sudbury who won the 50/50 prize draw of $942.50 and donated it back to the MSS robotics team.
“On behalf of the Lions Club I want to state how appreciative we were with everyone coming in with support for this tournament,” said Mr. Bryan. “Everyone opened up their wallet and their hearts to make all of this possible. I am over the moon with how this went and the results of this first tournament.”
The support for the Lions tournament and the MSS team was not lost on participants either. Dan Ryan, one of the players said, “the amount of support that has been provided here is amazing. This is really special.”
Mr. Ryan, who is from Sudbury and has a camp on Lake Manitou, told The Expositor his son had been a member of the robotics team at Lively Secondary School in Sudbury 20 years ago when they went to the world championships. “They competed in Toronto, but they didn’t receive the kind of support the MSS team has received from the Lions club and the Island community. It is incredible.”
Ben Willis, a member of the MSS Robotics team told The Expositor, “It’s incredible the community support that is being shown again here today for this event. That is why robotics exists, to see people come together.”
“The tournament was a phenomenal success,” said Mr. Bryan. As Lions Club president, “this was my first crack at spearheading an event like this and it was incredible the support I had from members of the club and the Island for the club and MSS.” He said the Lions will be holding a tournament again next year. He encouraged any resident in Mindemoya, Providence Bay or Spring Bay who has an interest in being a member of the club to get in touch with him.
The tournament drew a total of 20 teams (80 players) and had 24 sponsors.
In the men’s division, the team of Carter Moggy, Noah Thorpe, Rylan Carrick and Ben Dewar led the way in first place with a score of nine under par 63; the Rebecca Wright ladies’ division team shot 69 and also included Natalie Corbiere, Kathryn Corbiere and Tracy Chandler; and in the mixed division, the Al Lanktree team which included Kyra Lanktree, Darren and Pauline Smith were first with a score of 70.
The prize for the hardest working team went to the Chris Niemi team which included Marie Roles, Chantelle-Wilson Zegil and Amara Wilson-Zegil.
The prize for closest to the pin for the was won by Chris Anderson, and the men’s and women’s winners of closest to the rope were Lyndon Peltier and Cecilia Sloan.
Alexandra Wilson-Zegil told everyone in attendance that, “all the support that has been provided and sponsorship will help us finish our (MSS robotics) build room at the school, and on our trip to the world championships being held next year in Houston.”
