Penticton steps up to the plate again for kids in sport

(Photo is of members of the tournament committee, left to right: Jim Chernoff, Jean Anderson, KidSport Chair, Dave Lieskovsky, Dick Ante, and Katie Hicks)

For the 21st time, golfers and businesses in Penticton dug into their pockets to support kids in sport. The annual KidSport and Friends Golf Tournament sponsored by Greyback Construction was held at the Penticton Golf and Country raising $40,000.00 for KidSport Penticton.

KidSport Penticton provides funds for families with financial challenges who want their kids to participate in sports, but don’t have the funds to do so. The annual golf event has become the primary funding source for KidSport Penticton.

The local KidSport chapter has been providing this support since 1999, the same year as the first golf tournament fund-raiser. Back then, Tournament Chair, Dick Ante conceived and presented the idea to KidSport Penticton Chair, Dave Lieskovsky, and since then it has grown to be a very popular event that sells out each year.

This year 165 golfers enjoyed a sunny day of golf, while dozens of local businesses provided prizes and sponsorship funds to make it a financial win for the charity. Dave Lieskovsky summarizes the importance of the event by saying “With the funds raised from this tournament, we can continue to help those kids who would otherwise not be able to participate in sport. They would not experience the numerous benefits that sport offers to kids. Here in Penticton, like other communities, we are struggling to keep kids involved in organized sport as sport offers healthy alternatives to screen time, street time and the anti-social behavior that causes so many problems later in life.”