Local charities benefitted from a recent influx of support from the CK Charity Classic.
The fourth annual golf tournament took place this summer. Once all the fundraising was totalled, the group doled out the funds – more than $38,000 – to local charities.
The two big recipients this years were the Kiwanis Club of Chatham-Kent and the Suicide Prevention & Education Committee of Chatham-Kent (SPEC CK).
Donated funds from the Classic will help the Kiwanis Club add 75 kids to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, which will result in the distribution of 4,500 books to kids across Chatham-Kent from ages 0-5.
The funds for SPEC CK will allow the organization to run 75 free safeTALK training sessions as well as 20 free ASIST training sessions to help further their goal of making C-K suicide safe.
Thanks to the support of the Charity Classic’s sponsors and participants, organizers said they were able to give out more than $10,000 in “angel gifts” to help support several other local causes. They are the Learning Disabilities Association of Chatham-Kent, Kiwanis Music Festival, and Chatham-Kent Public Library Story Kits.
On top of that, CK Charity Classic organizers were able to donate gift cards to volunteers at both Free Help CK and Loads of Love for their work in response to helping those affected by the fire at 99 McNaughton Ave. in Chatham.
Officials also announced the beneficiaries of next year’s Classic, the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, FreeHelpCK, and the Mental Health Network of Chatham-Kent.
Over its first four years, the CK Charity Classic has raised and distributed in excess of $102,000 to various Chatham-Kent not-for-profit and charitable organizations focusing on supporting community health and wellness.
The Chatham-Kent Charity Classic is a non-profit founded by Adam and Erin Dickinson along with Eric Koscielski as a way to give back to Chatham-Kent. All proceeds raised by the CK Charity Classic will stay in Chatham-Kent.
Businesses and organizations are welcome to participate and sponsor the event. For more information on next year’s tournament, contact the CK Charity Classic at info.ckclassic@gmail.com.
