Golf tourney to raise money for kidney disease

The family of the late Rick Pearson has worked to turn a sad event into a positive initiative, to help raise money for kidney disease.
The second-annual Rick Pearson Memorial Golf Tournament will be taking place at Kitchen Creek Golf Course this Monday (Aug. 2).
The idea for the golf tournament came from family member Nadine Johnson, who wanted to help raise money for other families who are coping with kidney disease, and the whole family pitched in to help.
And since Rick was such an avid golfer, this tournament seemed like the best way to do it.
“Last year we had a great tournament, it was a lot of fun,” said Sonja Bodnarchuk, sister to Rick and a tournament organizer. “It was great to see everybody out there, and I think a lot of people have a lot of fun.”
Sonja said that the organization of the tournament has gone very well, with 30 teams signed up to participate, just slightly under last year’s 33 teams.
There are still six spots left, and teams of four can sign up this weekend, for $200 per team and $100 in pledges.
Last year, the money was more or less divided evenly between La Verendrye hospital’s Dialysis unit and the Kidney Foundation.
Fort Frances is part of the Thunder Bay chapter of the Kidney Foundation (referred to as the Northern Superior Chapter), with Wendy and Doug Agar and Ross and Mary Jane Pearson—all family of Rick’s—running the Fort Frances division.
The money that is donated to the Kidney Foundation is used for education, organ donation awareness and empowering the health and quality of life for people living with kidney disease.
“One of the big challenges is that not enough people are aware that they should sign the organ donor card,” said Mia Wedgbury, Rick’s sister who is up from Toronto for the event. “There are a lot of people on the waiting list for organs, and people need to know that.
“But it’s a great celebration too, because Rick loved to golf,” she added. “The whole family gets together for it.”
Wedgbury added that it is great to see such local support for the event, and that many local business donate prizes.
Among these businesses are The Place, Sunset Country Ford, Clendennings, and Camp Narrows Lodge.
The Thunder Bay president of the Kidney Foundation, Jim Hunter, is also coming to golf in the tournament, and has donated prizes for the event.
Tee-off time is 1 p.m. with four prizes awarded for being closest to the pin, and two prizes—one for male and one for female—for the longest drive.
Following the tournament, there will be a steak dinner held at Kitchen Creek.
For more information, or to sign up for the tournament, please call Sonja Bodnarchuk (274-2346) or Nadine Johnson (274-6252).