Amidst a sunny but chilly morning on Saturday, Sept. 10, 60 golfers came together from far and wide to play in the eighth memorial nine-hole golf tournament and remember their friends and family.
When Ross Annable's brother Mason, an avid golfer, passed away, Ross approached Mason's daughters to see if they would be willing to support a memorial golf tournament.
"What started in 2008 has grown over the years into what we hosted this morning," said Marion Annable, one of the main event organizers and a member of the ladies' league for more than two decades at the Big Valley Golf Club. "So far we have had 14 club members who have passed away and we thought it would be nice to do this in their memory."
For Saturday, each participant was charged $20 for a nine-hole round of golf.
"After the game we served them a lunch of chilli, a variety of salads and ham," added Annable. "There were lots of prizes too, mostly donated by the community here and local businesses."
According to Annable, the golf club has been fortunate to have so much support from the local community with businesses, participating golfers and community members all contributing towards the prizes.
"Some even helped out by donating cash prizes," said Annable. "The tournament was a huge success and everyone was very happy. We even had people coming from as far as Sherwood Park and Red Deer."
The tournament raised about $900 after expenses, which will be donated to local organizations and groups, such as the Big Valley Cemetery, Fire Department and the Big Valley School, besides the golf course.
"We usually hold the memorial on the second Saturday of September each year," said Annable. "Everyone helped out and we already have participants looking forward to it next year."