For the past five years, Mayor Jeff Genung has done some soul-searching each spring to determine which local cause will benefit from his annual invitational golf tournament.
Yesterday, he announced that the fifth annual tournament—taking place July 21 at the Links of GlenEagles—will support Big Hill Haven.
"I'm wearing purple on purpose, because we've chosen Big Hill Haven," he said during the announcement.
"Big Hill Haven does incredible work in Cochrane. I've had individuals reach out to me personally as mayor—people in situations that require their services. And I've felt helpless, because municipal governments don’t have the tools to help directly.
"But what we can do is support Big Hill Haven through this tournament and raise awareness of the good work they're doing."
Ahead of the announcement, Genung toured Big Hill Haven’s facilities to better understand the work they do supporting individuals affected by family violence—and came away recognizing a significant gap in resources.
Wanda McInnis, executive director of Big Hill Haven, confirmed that the need is growing.
“We're just finalizing our annual stats, and 106 families have reached out and received support from us—helping make their lives safer,” she said. “We’re grateful to be part of that circle of support.”
Big Hill Haven operates on an annual budget of $600,000, with $275,000 coming from the provincial government.
“This support will go a long way to help fill that gap, and we’re absolutely grateful,” said McInnis.
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Support for the tournament continues to be widespread. Even before going public, four sponsors—Cochrane Toyota, McDonald's, The Kramer Team, and Melcor—had already confirmed their support for a fifth consecutive year. Qualico Communities has also returned as the title sponsor for a second year. So far, 25 of 36 team spots have already been filled.
The tournament first supported the future 5th Avenue multi-purpose community centre in 2021, followed by The Trail in 2022 and the Cochrane and Area Humane Society in 2023. Last year, fundraising reached a new high in support of the Cochrane branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.