CALGARY — The annual Shaw Charity Classic golf tournament, which was cancelled this year due to Covid-19, has still helped to raise more than $12 million this year for more than 200 youth-based charities across Alberta, Shaw Communications announced today.
When tournament officials were forced to cancel the 2020 edition of the event in June, they promised the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program would continue.
The tournament’s title sponsor, Shaw Communications, along with the Shaw Family were first to step up in the annual fundraising drive with a commitment to match up to $2 million in community donations. This sparked a flood of donations from nearly 3,000 donors from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island throughout the summer months, resulting in the second-highest tally in the eight-year history of the event.
The 2020 contribution of $12,572,483 brings the grand total impact of the Shaw Charity Classic on children’s charities in Alberta since it started in 2013 to more than $61 million.
“Beyond the legendary golf and the electric energy of the crowds that line the fairways, supporting the charities that work tirelessly to help improve the lives of Alberta’s youth and their families has always been at the heart of the Shaw Charity Classic,” said Brad Shaw, executive chair and CEO, in a press release. “In a year that can only be described as challenging, it is inspiring and humbling to see how people have once again rallied together to support the charities that make such a difference.”
“While we always look forward to gathering at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club each summer to watch spectacular golf by many of the game’s greatest players, what makes the event truly special is the unwavering commitment of the generous donors across the country who show up every year to support the charitable groups that are making our communities better places to live,” said Jim Riddell, chair of the Shaw Charity Classic’s seven-member patron group, who together supported Calgary’s pandemic relief efforts in April with a $100,000 donation to four-local charities.
The 2021 instalment of the Shaw Charity Classic is scheduled to take place August 11-15, at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary.
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