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Another Record Setting Year for Lamont County Charity Golf Tournament
Another Record Setting Year for Lamont County Charity Golf Tournament
Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser
The Reeve’s Charity Golf Tournament continues to garner amazing community and corporate support since its inception in 2019. The most recent tournament, held at Mundare’s Whitetail Crossing Golf Club on Aug. 21 featured 138 golfers. Amazingly, a total of more than $39,668 was raised for the County of Lamont Food Bank.
“Each year golfers and sponsors continue to step up to directly benefit residents of Lamont County,” said Lamont County Reeve David Diduck. “The County of Lamont Food Bank is a vital service in the region and proceeds go to great program that definitely is in need of a new building. I also value the time I met, spoke and took pictures with every team and sponsors this year. Next year will be another great time for everyone!”
Diduck noted that, sponsors, participants as well as staff volunteers continue to be a vital part of this great tournament.
“I’d like to further shout out to all our valued sponsors and participants for your generous donations,” said Reeve Diduck. “This year we had a record 10 gold sponsors as well as hole sponsors for every hole and important silver and bronze sponsors. Without these organizations stepping up, this tournament would not be as successful, as fun, or have as much valuable returns to the food bank. These are organizations that live, work and play in Lamont County and within the region, and are important partners in supporting our residents’ quality of life.”
“We have a great community in Lamont County where our businesses and industry step up to support local – this is a crucial part of what it means to be in Lamont County,” said Shane Olson, Lamont County’s Economic Development Manager.
"The proceeds from this Tournament, (over $100,000 since 2019) play a vital role in supporting the County of Lamont Food Bank and helps us continue to provide essential food and resources to families in need,” said County of Lamont Food Bank Board Chair, Jody Zachoda. “We are closer to our goal of providing more wraparound services and support to families and individuals affected by food insecurity through creating a space that fosters community involvement and collaboration with future programs.
We are deeply grateful for the community’s ongoing generosity and support, which makes a real difference in the lives of so many across the County."
Zachoda noted, “We are currently in the process of applying for grants to support the development of a new 5,000-square-foot facility. This project is still in the conceptual phase, as our current facility has become inadequate for our growing needs.
At present, we operate out of a rented portable unit from the Alliance Church and utilize a sea can for storage. Additionally, the Town of Lamont provides temperature-controlled storage near the fire hall. Our volunteers dedicate a significant amount of time and effort, transporting products between these various locations multiple times each week. To manage inventory, we rely on an app, though the current setup remains inefficient.
The ability to store inventory on-site, within the same location as our operations, would greatly enhance our efficiency. This would allow us to optimize resource use, ensuring that we can provide the best possible food hampers with accurate best-before dates.
In addition to our core operations, we plan to offer a range of wraparound services aimed at supporting the community. These include enhanced access to education, counseling services, and collaborative programming with local organizations. Potential initiatives include a community kitchen, work experience programs for students, and addiction counseling services.
We are already partnering with Lamont County FCSS to assist with intake services and provide access to relevant information and support. Given the ongoing growth of our service demands, we anticipate further increases in the number of individuals relying on our support.
A larger facility, equipped with an inspected kitchen, walk-in cooler and freezer, office space, and a classroom/meeting room, would allow us to expand our current offerings and introduce new services tailored to the evolving needs of the county.”
