Scholarship golf tourney seeks early registrations to maximize fundraising

By beating the deadline before the Ministry of Education and Training’s scholarship initiative program ends, Don Lovisa of Confederation College here has found a way to once again double the funds raised at its annual student scholarship golf tournament in June.
“We’re trying to get everyone to sponsor or register for the tournament before March 31,” said Lovisa. “We’re getting to do this for a fourth year by sneaking under that deadline, which is the end of [the ministry’s] year.”
A special initiative of the government to increase self-raised scholarships at post-secondary institutions, the deal has seen the ministry match every dollar raised at the college’s past three golf tournaments here.
This year’s tourney is slated June 9 at Kitchen Creek, with registration costing $70 a person. And Lovisa noted a few changes have been made to the format.
“It will be an 18-hole, shotgun start tournament. For avid golfers, that’s a lot better than nine holes,” he said.
“It’s also a Friday with a 1 p.m. start so we’re hoping people can just book the afternoon off and enjoy a day of golfing,” he added.
Since the initiative ends this year, Lovisa said this will be the college’s last tourney of its kind.
Also, for the first time the college’s student council will be a major sponsor of the event, pitching in $2,000 to help stage it.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to make a contribution for the students,” noted student council president Chris Dent, who will be playing in the golf tourney along with seven other students.
“By giving early, we get more ‘bang for our buck.’ This make things a lot easier for students next year, and in the years to come,” he added.
Scholarships are drawn from the $40,000 trust fund’s accrued interest.
Last year, the college raised $9,000, which then was doubled to $18,000 by the provincial government.
In related news, six college students received several bursaries last Thursday, including three from last year’s golf tournament.
Ann Cox, Connie Hendrickson and Betty Shoemaker all received Confederation College Golf Tournament Awards while Dent got the Métis Nation of Ontario scholarship.
He also received a SUCCI Endowed Award, as did Christina Patterson and Cara-Lee Lougheed.