UBC student athletes Lauren Siemers (left) and McKenna Lesiuk (right) together with golf community member Cheryl Stecko (centre) were the driving force in organizing Heat varsity golf fundraising.
Statement from UBC Okanagan director of athletics and recreation Rob Johnson
Earlier this year, after a thorough review of our Heat varsity golf program, we identified some real challenges with the financial sustainability of the program and faced difficult decisions about its future. Since then, the community has come together to show their overwhelming support for the program and our students through a number of fundraising events.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of a group of our student athletes and members of the community, I’m very pleased to announce today that the Heat varsity golf program will have the funding required to continue for the 2017/18 academic year. I am deeply proud of the performance of our golfers over the years, and these latest fundraising efforts are yet another example of the strong character and entrepreneurial spirit of our student athletes.
But they did not act alone. Thanks in no small part to the generous in-kind support from a number of local and lower mainland golf courses and wineries and dozens of silent auction donors, the fundraising events hosted by the Kelowna Golf and Country Club and Michaelbrook Ranch Golf Course were extremely successful. The UBC Okanagan golf program is viable for the coming year because of the heartwarming dedication of the Okanagan golf community, including from the Okanagan Golf Club who has been in partnership with our program since its inception in 2008.
With expenses rising, the financial challenges we face will remain beyond 2017/18 and we will need to make careful decisions in the future.
Good luck to our golfers for this upcoming year. Their ingenuity and devotion to golf will serve them well as they compete in this year’s events. And thanks again to the golf community for really stepping up to help us continue to offer these competitive opportunities to our students.
A special thanks to all of the sponsors with their time or their in-kind donations.
Arbutus Ridge Golf Club
Back Door Winery
BC Tree Fruits
Big Surf Beer
Black Mountain Golf Club
Cheryl Stecko, Community Volunteer
Christina Lake Golf Club
Cupcasions
Fairview Mountain Golf Course
Gallaghers Canyon Golf & Country Club
Gray Monk Estate Winery
Indigenous World Winery
Intrigue Winery
Keith Hunter, Musician for both events
Kelowna Golf and Country Club
Kelowna Springs Golf Club
Naked Grape Wines
Maxine DeHart – city of Kelowna Councillor
Captain Morgan’s
Nature’s Fare Market
Okanagan Golf Club
Olympia Greek Taverna
Peller Estates Winery
Prospera Credit Union
Quail’s Gate Winery
Salmon Arm Golf Club
Shannon Lake Golf Course
Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club – The major contributor for the raffle
Srixon Balls – Major contributor
Student athletes: Lauren Siemers, McKenna Lesiuk
Subway
Summerhill Pyramid Winery
Summerland Golf & Country Club
Sun Peaks Resort
Sysco
The Harvest Golf Club
Tom & Betty Stanbrook – Michaelbrook Ranch Golf Course
Tower Ranch Golf & Country Club
Two Eagles Golf Course
Urban Fare
Vernon Golf and Country Club
World Beat Family Golf
The 2016/17 UBC Okanagan Men’s and Women’s Golf Team
- Emily Adams
- James Casorso
- Grant Dollevoet
- Joshua Evans
- Derek Graham
- Jessica Kozak
- McKenna Lesiuk
- Ollie Rizun
- Lauren Siemers
- Jacob Stewart
- Naoki Takahashi