Published July 02, 2014 18:54
July 2, 2014 – Ottawa, ON – Not every kid can afford to go to summer camp, but for the past 18 years, the Brian Smith Memorial Golf Tournament has been changing that. Since the tournament began in 1996, it has raised nearly $1.8 million -- enough to send more than 2,200 Ottawa-area youth to Camp Smitty, a residential camp operated by the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa.
This year, 328 golfers are gearing up for the 19th annual tournament which takes place at The Marshes at Brookstreet, MarchWood Golf Course and Eagle Creek Golf Course on Tuesday, July 8. As it is every year, the goal is to raise money to send even more deserving kids to Camp Smitty.
The camp, located near Eganville, ON, was founded in 1924 as Camp Minwassin. Today, the Camp remains open to all boys and girls aged eight to 15 years of age who are ready for the physical and social dynamics of a 10-day residential camping program.
In 2001, the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa paid tribute to one of Camp Minwassin’s standout campers, Brian Smith, and renamed the property “Camp Smitty”. Smith spent many years at the camp, first as a camper – winning both the Best Athlete and the Most Courteous Camper awards – and later as a counsellor. As an adult, Smith continued to support the BGCO and other charities while pursuing his career as an NHL player and afterwards with CTV Ottawa. In 1995, tragedy struck when Smith was killed while leaving the CTV studios on his way to speak at the Children’s Wish Foundation.
The memorial tournament recognizes Smith’s impact on the Club and the region while also raising funds to help Ottawa youth attend Camp Smitty.
Tee-off is a shotgun start at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 8.
For more information on the tournament, visit www.briansmithgolf.com. For more information on Camp Smitty, visit www.campsmitty.com. For more information on the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, visit www.bgcottawa.org.