Parkland College held its 12th annual Dollars for Scholars Golf Classic at Deer Park on Friday.
The event is the single biggest fundraiser for the college’s scholarship fund, with all the proceeds from the shotgun golf tournament going right into the scholarship bank. That money is then distributed over the course of the coming year to students who are enrolled at Parkland College.
Brendan Wagner was an organizer of the event, and he said they always see a wide range of people show up for the tournament.
“Local businesses will sign up teams and others will sponsor, then we get people who really love to golf and they enter almost every tournament they come across. And we’ve got some college employees who’ve entered teams,” he said. “It’s a nice mix of people from Yorkton, and people from surrounding areas as well.”
Wagner said that generally, they raise somewhere around $20,000 from the tournament, and this year was much the same. They raised an estimate $19,700.
From there, they’re sometimes able to receive government funding that will match what they raise. So if they generate a total of $40,000, they’re able to help around 40 kids at the college the following school year.
“It’s really grown,” said Wagner. “It started out really small, but the community has really gotten on board.”
He said the tournament is a great indication of the support that the community has for Parkland College.
Wagner added that over the years, the fundraiser has helped hundreds of students at the college. Since the first tournament in 2006, they’ve raised over $225,000.
“It’s a good way for us to thank the community for their support and let them have a little fun while they’re at it. That’s what it’s all about,” he said.
