Lloydminster residents will be giving it their best swing as they try to “Whack Cancer” in an upcoming golf tourney.
The Lloydminster Relay for Life Committee will be putting on the inaugural “Whack Cancer” Golf Tournament on June 6th from 10 to 2. The event seeks to be a replacement fundraiser for the Relay for Life, which will be going entirely online this year as the Canadian Cancer Society responds to COVID-19 gathering guidelines.
Lloydminster Relay for Life Committee co-chair Alyssa Shillington says that they were looking for a way to still have an event while keeping possible immunocompromised people still battling cancer safe.
“We can still follow protocols in regards to keeping everybody safe, social distancing and all of that type of stuff, while still bringing a fun and enjoyable event to our community.”
The Whack Golf Tournament will have staggered tee times throughout the day, in order to keep groups small. That said, the recognition of people fighting cancer in the past and to this day will still be a major part of the event.
People in the tournament can arrange to have Flags of Hope put up, which will take the place of the luminaries. Like those luminaries, the flags will contain messages of support for people battling cancer, along with dedications to family or loved ones still fighting, those who have beaten it and those who passed away from it.
The goal of the event is $5000, which will be raised through sponsorships and registration fees as donations. Spaces in both of these regards are still open, but spots in the game are limited, again due to gathering rules.
Shillington notes that this event is being put on directly by their committee, which will allow them to explore ways to use the funds directly in Lloydminster.
“We have brought up a discussion about possibly keeping the funds closer to our community. Being that it’s not a Relay for Life event, we can direct the funds to a specific organization, or something that helps people with cancer in our community.”
People wanting to play in the Whack Cancer tournament can find more details on their Facebook Page or on the Canadian Cancer Society website.