Chris Reed Memorial tournament raises $8,000 for KidSport

Written By Brian Lockhart

The first annual Chris Reed Memorial Golf Tournament took place on Saturday, June 25, at the Shelburne Golf and Country Club with the proceeds going to KidSport Orangeville and District.

A passionate golfer, Mr. Reed passed away in December, 2020, after battling leukaemia and having complications from a bone marrow transplant.

His four children decided a golf tournament in memory of their dad would be a great way to celebrate and honour him while raising funds for a good cause and giving back to the community.

Chris was an active member of the community. He was on the executive for both Shelburne Minor Hockey and Shelburne Lacrosse, and was a coach, mentor and referee.

“Chris was passionate about all sports and would want every child to have the opportunity to play if they wanted to,” explained Chris' wife Celine, of why they chose KidSport.

KidSport is an organization that helps fund low-income families who would otherwise not be able to pay for fees or equipment to play local sports. KidSport works locally and helps people in Shelburne.

“This year we kept the tournament to friends and family,” Celine explained. “Next year we will open it up to anyone who wants to come. We had a lot of community support. It really became a community effort. Chris actually ran a tournament for his mom for several years, so for us, a tournament was a no-brainer. He was a big golfer. We had 96 golfers that took part in the tournament. Chris loved sports and he loved seeing kids in sports, so we thought let's do something to give back to the community and get kids off the sidelines. We picked KidSport just to give back and keep kids in sports. Chris was a community guy.”

Chris' children, Cooper, 8, Camryn, 10, Callie, 12, and Cole, 13, took part in the tournament and are all now golfers themselves. They designed a cap with a special logo for the tournament to honour their father.

“There are so many kids and parents that you see, but you'll never know they need help,” said Scott Mason, president of KidSport Orangeville and District. “They are just kids, they don't know – they just see their friends playing and they want to play too. We support the Orangeville and District area. We take in families that are less fortunate and can't afford to get their kids into sports. We help them get to the sport of their choice through funding like this tournament and other fundraisers we do. We pay for equipment or registration. We have around 109 kids in our area that we help.”

Scott was a good friend of Chris and they were both involved in the local sports scene.

“We cover the area, including some of the smaller communities like Honeywood, Dundalk, Shelburne, and of course Orangeville,” Chris explained of how the funds help local families. “The bottom line is to do it without the kids having to know that mom and dad need help. They just want to play.”

The tournament also provided a day of fun and remembering for the family and many of Chris' friends who attended.

“It was a beautiful day,” Celine said. “My kids got to hear people tell them stories about their dad and different trips they went on and golf courses. It was a way to remember him, honour him, share stories and share his passion.”

The tournament raised $8,025 for
KidSport.

Celine is already planning for next year's tournament and has booked June 27, as the day for the next event.