Members of Merritt’s own Rotary Club, as well as other community members, hit the links at the Merritt Golf and Country Club’s nine-hole course to raise money for the organization’s charitable and community efforts.
Multiple teams of Rotarians and community members alike played a competitive-but-casual nine-holes of golf, enjoyed a catered dinner, and received lighthearted and fun ‘awards.’ The four-person scramble style tournament had room for 16 teams, and while not quite that many played, the non-profit says the turnout was great and there was plenty of fun to be had by all.
“It was really good, we had a good turnout. Our objective was, after two years of COVID, to get together and have some fun, and make some money on the side. We accomplished both of those,” said Leslee Lucy, president of the Merritt Rotary Club.
“It was a really nice day of getting together with everyone, having a great dinner, and having some fun with the awards afterwards. We didn’t put a lot of seriousness into them, so they were more on the fund side. Nobody was golfing for the awards.”
While final numbers are being calculated, the fundraiser was able to boost the Rotary Club’s bank account, allowing the group to give back to local non-profits, community members, and other initiatives taken on by the club. The Rotary Club of Merritt offers an international student exchange program, scholarships, and multiple community events that support the Nicola Valley.
Photo/Rotary Merritt
Kept busy this year by their Merritt Flood Relief fund, which has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fundraising flood recovery money to impacted individuals and families, the group hopes to get back to their usual methods of fundraising. Interrupted by COVID, their popular fundraisers and community events funded their ability to give back.
“The reason these funds are going into general revenue is that we went into COVID with a healthy bank account, which was a good thing, but we had two years of no fundraising where we continued to give away the usual amount of money. It has depleted us quite a bit,” added Lucy.
“In order to continue to do a lot in our community, we need some money in our bank account. All the fundraising we do going forward will go into our general revenue, so that we can keep supporting community projects.”
While the Rotary Club of Merritt typically holds one major event per year, such as their crab feast or mini-golfing event, Lucy says they hope to branch out and hold several smaller events throughout the year. The club is seeking new members, with its base having shrunk slightly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the club held a pancake breakfast at the Canadian Bluemoon Elvis Festival, organized an electric vehicle information tent at the community Show ‘n Shine, and is actively planning other events and activities throughout the community.
The Rotary Club of Merritt meets every second Wednesday during the summer, and weekly from September 7 on, at the Merritt Legion on Quilchena Avenue. For more information, contact [email protected].