Students host golf tournament for future Wheatland Crossing School

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

A desire to equip the currently under-construction Wheatland Crossing School with all the bells and whistles and place it on even keel with schools in Strathmore and Drumheller has a large number of students and parents pulling hours of overtime to organize a golf-tournament fundraiser in hopes of inching closer to the $2 million target.
The Friends of East Wheatland Society (FEWS), a group of volunteers that formed to fundraise for additional enhancements for the new rural school, and over 40 students from Standard School are orchestrating the Play for a Reason Golf Tournament at Speargrass Golf Course in early June.
While over half of the anticipated 144 golfers are already confirmed and 13 of the 18 sponsors are lined up, more community involvement is required to achieve their $30,000 goal.
“The money is all for the kids,” said Greg Lendvay, associate principal at Standard, Rockyford, and Hussar schools. “It’s for them, so basically it’s an opportunity for them to thank every person that spent $250 to golf that day. It’s very important that the kids can look them in the eye and shake their hands and say thank you very much for helping us achieve our goals and building a better school.”
To date, FEWS has raised over $1 million. The basic facility of the stand-alone K-12 school is provided by the provincial government and will accommodate students from Rockyford, Hussar, Gleichen, and Standard this September. With their fundraising ambitions, the society wants to offer future students Fashion Design, Drama and Fine Arts, Welding, Carpentry, a cafeteria, a multi-purpose space and media room, an Agriculture program, fitness centre, a gym equipped with bleachers, and a playground.
To ensure such implementations, the golf tournament provides a rare six hole-in-one opportunities, with a $10,000 prize for each totalling $60,000. The sponsorship will also allow for business advertising to be visible from September to June. The fundraiser will follow a best ball format with a prime rib dinner and silent auction to follow – the result of 500 letters sent out by current students requesting silent auction donations.
According to Lendvay, Encana Corporation became the title sponsor for $5,000 in addition to the $50,000 that was previously donated to the cause, while Richardson Pioneer claimed the cart sponsorship package for $2,000 and Centaur Products stepped up with a generous monetary donation.
“It’s an ongoing thing,” Lendvay added. “We’re working on bleachers right now and then we’ll move towards a playground. When you do a golf tournament people interact and support a cause, but they also get something out of it. It’s not just a straight up cash donation and at the corporate level it’s an opportunity for the to drive up business.”
Golfers can reserve a spot for $250 or register a team for $1,000. The Play for a Reason Golf Tournament will take place on June 7. For more information, on the various sponsorship packages and for more information contact Greg Lendvay at 403-324-4127 or via e-mail (friendsofeastwheatland@gmail.com).