We celebrated the first day of September with the 16th Annual YESS Charity Golf Classic Driven by GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd. Golfers, volunteers, and staff braved the chilly morning and were rewarded with a gorgeous afternoon at The Links in Spruce Grove.

1Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for golf champs! Pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, and pastries were all on offer thanks to our friends at CIBC Wood Gundy. Once our golfers were fueled up for the start of the day, they sped out on their carts for their first tee-offs.

There were plenty more opportunities to nosh once golfers were out on the course. Collin Bruce Mortgage Team had warm coffee in the morning and cold drinks for the sunny afternoon; Sherlock Holmes Hospitality Group had “yorkies” (mini Yorkshire puddings–so delish!); Investors Group brought the BBQ vibe with smokies and all the fixin’s; and who else could be counted on to bring the pizza but Boston Pizza! Not to be outdone, our own YESS chefs served up sliders at the 9th hole.

2In between bites it was time to play golf–and some other games too! There was a chip shot challenge with Pattison Outdoor Advertising and a sit n’putt challenge with McCoy Global. True putting glory could be won at the putting green contest with GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd. There were two $5000 hole-in-one challenges hosted by SK Events and Investors Group and a . Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (or ABCRC, as their friends calls them) had a great trivia game where players matching the recyclable material with the items they could be recycled into–did you know that plastic is recycled to make clothing?! Crystal Glass offered golfers the chance to send their drive right at a windshield. It’s possible the most fun was had at Jump Outta Bed’s team photo contest (check out all the day’s snaps on their Twitter feed).

3As teams rolled back into the clubhouse wearing far fewer layers than they’d had on at the start of tournament, there was one more surprise in store: massages from City Centre Wellness! Certainly the best way to come off the golf course is to go straight to the massage table.

Golfers, volunteers, and staff gathered back in the clubhouse for dinner and to hear from Deb Cautley, YESS Executive Director, and Trevor Ross, President of GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd., Presenting Sponsor of the YESS Charity Golf Classic. Deb described the pride she felt seeing the Edmonton community come together this summer for the people of Fort McMurray. It’s the same community that comes together for YESS–it’s why we see the same amazing supporters year after year at this golf tournament! We are #AlbertaStrong.

4In his speech, Trevor remarked that the YESS Charity Golf Classic and GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd. got started the same year. With a lot of determination and hope, Trevor started his business and now years later, his company is the presenting sponsor of a major fundraising event to give back and support a local charity. We happen to know a little bit about living on determination and hope as well, and we are so grateful to have GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd. on our team to support youth experiencing homelessness in Edmonton.

5Thank you so much to all our sponsors, guests, donors, volunteers, and staff who joined us on this great day out on The Links!  This year we raised over $39,500 to help us continue offering youth who are experiencing homelessness in Edmonton the support and resources they need.

Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor – GrassChopper Landscaping Ltd.
Breakfast Sponsor – CIBC Wood Gundy
Platinum Sponsor – Pattison Outdoor Advertising
Eagle Sponsors –  Carlson Construction, Collin Bruce Mortgage Team, Investors Group, Nordic, White Knight Construction
Birdie SponsorCrystal Glass
Golf Cart SponsorGryphon Benefits & Insurance
Go Green SponsorAlberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation
Golfer Giveaway SponsorMcCoy Global
Marked Ball Sponsor & 50/50 Draw SponsorImpark
Ping Pong Contest SponsorJump Outta Bed
Auction SponsorIncite

YESS Overall Sponsors

Boston Pizza
Burke Group
CityTV/Dinner Television
Cowan Imaging Group
Inland AV
One Step Beyond Photography & Video
River City Events
SC Systems
Sherlock Holmes Hospitality Group
The Links at Spruce Grove