Inaugural Legacy Golf Classic tees off with great success

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The inaugural Legacy Golf Classic, presented by the Allan and Anne Thompson Community Fund, took place this week, inviting over 140 golfers to enjoy TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and raise funds for a worthy cause.

The Allan and Anne Thompson Community Fund raises funds for charities all over, and this year, the Caledon Agricultural Society (CAS) was a primary grant recipient of their inaugural event.

The funds raised will support the CAS Capital Campaign Building Fund that is currently underway.

CAS has launched a $3-million capital campaign to expand facilities on its existing fairgrounds, building a community centre for all of Caledon to enjoy.

“We are planning for the next generations and we want to ensure we can provide the opportunities and the facilities to meet the ever-growing demands of our community,” says Ed Taccone, Caledon Agricultural Society president, in a statement.

Golfers of all levels were invited to join Allan and Anne Thompson for a day of golfing, fellowship, and fabulous food.

Not only did the sun show up for the inaugural event, but the community did as well.

Many golfers were even purchasing mulligans, not just to help their score, but to support CAS.

Mulligans were available for purchase at registration, and Scotiabank pledged to match the donation made by the end of the day.

Sponsors not only helped golfers improve their scores, but also fueled them up for the day with breakfast.

Funds were also raised for CAS through a silent auction.

Sponsors included Osprey Valley, the Rice Group, Benson, Downey's Farm, Crozier, James Dick Construction Limited, Casamorra Homes, Votorantim Cimentos, NFTC, Four-Valleys Excavating and Grading Ltd, TD, Arcadis, and more.

One sponsor, Premier Medical Clinic, sponsored the Hole in One challenge.

Dr. Maninder Mand, from Premier Medical Clinic, shared that Allan and Anne Thompson have been close friends and associates for over 15 years now, and have helped him and his family in a variety of ways.

“It was important to us to help Allan and Anne Thompson, throughout, because they've helped us,” shared Mand. “It's very important to us to support them now as well.”

If anyone achieved a hole-in-one on Hole 12, a par 3, they were awarded $10,000 from Premier Medical Clinic.

After Hole 12, Heathlands Hole 17 featured PGA player Cougar Collins as their Pro for Beat the Pro.

Cougar Collins, from Caledon, is a Canadian professional golfer currently playing on PGA Tour Americas.

Lisa Graham, First Vice President of CAS, shared that the Legacy Golf Classic “means so much” to CAS.

“We are fundraising for our beautiful new building that we were going to have on our fairgrounds and our village, our town, our area needs this building. There is nothing in the area and this Legacy Golf Classic Tournament is by far the biggest bang to start it off,” shared Graham.

“We're just very, very happy. We couldn't have thanked Alan and Anne Thompson [enough] for helping us so much.”

Graham shared that they are “beyond grateful for all the golfers” who signed up for the tournament.

“TPC Osprey is just phenomenal. Lovely people to work with,” says Graham.

At the shotgun start for the event, Allan Thompson thanked everyone for attending.

“As well as raising money for the Caledon Fairgrounds, which is so important to have a community center up here in Ward 1 they definitely deserve to have something that's important for the community, and I think it's going to be a huge asset,” shared Allan Thompson. “To make that successful, it's events like this that are going to help raise money for this, create awareness, but it's all of you that have come forward to help make this happen.”

Golfers were able to enjoy the beautiful day and course and take in the post-golf reception at 3 p.m.