Organizers of the Shawna North Memorial Golf Tournament are excited for the charity event to be back in action this year, in memory of an avid Moose Jaw golfer and Saskatchewan Polytechnic employee who worked hard to support students.
The tournament, which takes place at Deer Ridge Golf Course on June 12, was created to honour Shawna North, who worked at the Moose Jaw Sask Polytech campus and passed away from cancer in 2019. She was also a regular at Deer Ridge and enjoyed spending time out on the greens.
“We’re beyond happy that we’re able to host it this year [because] our goal is to continue to honour Shawna’s memory,” said spokesperson Tawnia Stephanson.
Funds raised at the tournament are put into an endowment program set up in North’s name, which will provide two bursaries to Moose Jaw students attending Sask Polytech each year.
“We thought that developing a bursary program to support students would help honour Shawna and keep helping her to do the work that she did at Sask Polytech,” said Stephanson.
Stephenson said that the decision to provide bursaries was because they are chosen based on financial need, not academic achievement, which organizers felt aligned perfectly with North’s passion.
“She was a real advocate for the underdog, and she always wanted to help people, especially those who really needed it,” said Stephanson. “So we thought bursaries, providing that financial support to students who need it the most, would be a good fit with her legacy.”
The tournament debuted in 2019 to a great response but was unfortunately cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 shutdowns. This year the tournament is going full-speed ahead with a few modifications.
The event will be a tee-time tournament from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., with a chipping contest taking place before things kick off.
Golfers are welcome to register individually, as pairs, or as a team of four and Stephanson said the event is going to feel as much like a non-pandemic event as possible — including door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and games on the course during the tournament.
Participants will also be sent home with a complimentary burger and dessert upon completing the course.
“We can’t have the large gathering you would typically have after a tournament, but this is the next best thing,” said Stephanson.
Stephanson is hoping to see another great surge of support for the event, as the endowment fund has already raised more than its original goal of $25,000 and looking to keep going.
Registration for the tournament is open until June 5, and golfers can contact organizers by email at shawnanorthmemorial@gmail.com or through the tournament’s Facebook or Instagram pages to reserve their tee time.
