Frigid temperatures and pouring rain couldn鈥檛 keep Jasper鈥檚 hearty souls off the golf course, Sept. 12.
In fact, they showed up in droves, with a 156 people hitting the links that morning, all in the name of charity.
The sixth annual Jasper Victims Services Charity Golf Tournament is the non-profit organization鈥檚 largest fundraiser of the year and, despite the weather, this was the best one yet, with the tournament and silent auction raking in more than $20,000鈥攁 whopping $3,000 more than it raised in 2013.
For Paul Schmidt, Jasper鈥檚 victim service coordinator, one of the highlights of the day was auctioning off a fishing rod that was returned to him to auction off again and again. In the end, after the same rod had been won six times, $1,000 was raised for just that item.
鈥淸It] got to be funny for the crowd and it made my day,鈥� said Schmidt.
Another funny addition to this year鈥檚 event was a toilet on Hole 4. Soula Jackson of ATB Financial brought it along and challenged the golfers to donate $5 to chip their balls into the bowl; the successful chippers were rewarded with prizes鈥攊ncluding a number of delicious treats.
ATB raised $550 with their target practise and then put out a challenge to their team to match the proceeds, which they did, bringing their donation up to $1,100.
The Jasper Victim Services Unit was created in 2007 to help victims of crime in Jasper National Park. That help can come in many different forms, whether it be setting someone up with a hotel room for the night or just grabbing them a coffee and offering them an attentive ear.
鈥淭his year we have supported the many family members of a homicide victim鈥攚e have easily spent over three weeks together during the trial and countless hours on the phone,鈥� said Schmidt to the crowd of golfers who gathered at the dinner and auction.
鈥淭here has been incidents with locals that were close to us鈥攅ven before the tragedies in their families. We have seen several unrelated fatalities in very short time spans, and it leaves us spinning.鈥�
In order to continue providing supports to victims and their families, victim services depends heavily on the funds raised during the golf tournament.
鈥淚鈥檓 thankful to our community and great business partners that have overwhelmingly shown their support for victim services,鈥� said Schmidt, also taking a moment to thank the victim services board and its volunteers, as well as his wife.
鈥淢y wife Janet gets as much credit as I could possibly give her for assistance to victims. She sleeps on one side of the bed, and my phone on the other. I have taken calls and left her and our boys at a friend鈥檚 wedding; I have snuck away during movies and not returned to our date.
鈥淓ven with all of the times I have left her, she is there for me when I get home. She listens to the vague details and accepts why I might be grumpy or removed, and loves me enough to make me feel good again.鈥�
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
