麻豆社区

The spirit of Bob Park continues to bless the City of Whitehorse seven years after his untimely death.

The Bob Park Charity Classic raised $10,000 for the Yukoners Cancer Care Fund, created last year by the Yukon Hospital Foundation.

Twenty-five foursomes spent Saturday morning at the Mountain View Golf Course playing best-ball golf in honour of their old friend.

Park died in August 2006 after a struggle with pancreatic cancer. The 46-year-old owned the Roadhouse and was a big part of the Whitehorse sports scene. Many sport tournaments are played each year in his honour.

"We used to give the money to the cancer society,鈥� said golf tournament organizer Susanne Hingley. "This is the first year that we are giving it to the Yukon.鈥�

After contributing more than $50,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society over the past six years, tournament organizers are making more of an effort to keep the money in the territory, said Hingley.

"I think people are excited the money is staying in the Yukon,鈥� she said. "It means a little more.鈥�

The tournament began with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. and finished with a celebration at the Roadhouse.

Environmentally-friendly golf balls were shot off into the Yukon River on hole seven in Park's honour.

"It's a fun tradition,鈥� said Hingley. "We handed out Beck's and a ball at hole number seven, because that was Bobby's favourite beer. That was his favourite thing to do. Every time he went golfing, he did that.鈥�

The post-tournament gathering at the Roadhouse was also meaningful, "because Bobby's spirit was there,鈥� said Hingley. "That was a really cool feeling.鈥�

The charity tournament is more about fun than scores, but there were a variety of competitions in which golfers competed.

Copper Ridge Bigway finished first with a score of 58, while Small's Expediting/T-Squared Professional Engineers finished second with a 59.

Boston Pizza finished third with a 60.

Air North won the "Most Honest鈥� award with a score of 126.

Tim Cameron, Steve Thrower, Mark Tubman and Nicole Baldwin all won closest to the pin honours, while Blaine Tessier and Donna Sherman finished with the longest drives.

Terry Sherman won the putting contest.