As the leaves change colour and the air gets cooler, Melanoma Canada is set to bring you some amazing events with purpose this fall and winter!
Speaking of amazing, our Golf & Grill tournament has grown. It’s not just in one city anymore – over the past few weeks, we’ve taken it to Vancouver and Montreal, as well as brought the Canadian Event Industry Award-nominated event back to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Golf & Grill is certainly not your regular golf tournament!
In Vancouver, participants enjoyed great BBQ from, notable Canadian Chefs like Food Network’s Nicole Gomes and Vikram Vij alongside Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuk, Rosie’s BBQ, Vera’s Burger Shack, St. James’s Well Pub, and Lexi Christiansen at Tsawwassen Springs Golf Club on September 7th. But that’s not all! The Golf & Grill event in Vancouver raised funds for the Jess and Red Hamilton Fund to bring the Mole Mobile to British Columbia and was hosted by Brian “Red” Hamilton of the Vancouver Canucks, whose social media trending story helped raise awareness for the importance of early detection of melanoma and skin cancer.
In Toronto at the Winchester Golf Club on September 21st, celebrity golf entertainer Todd Keirstead delivered an impactful speech to kick off the tournament. While enjoying 18-holes of golf, participants also devoured some tasty barbecue prepared by Ted Reader – God Father of the Grill, the mustache himself, along with Food Network’s Massimo Capra, female grill experts – Maddie and Kiki Longo, Culinary Expert Christian Pritchard, and BBQ aficionados Darrin Big Dogg BBQ and Rob Butler.
And in Montreal, a few of our great GTA chefs, Ted Reader and Massimo Capra, made the trek down the 401 to grill up some delicious bites at Elm Ridge Golf Club, just outside of Montreal on September 21st , all to raise funds to help support the melanoma and skin cancer community.
While the golf is fun and the grill is delicious, these events aren’t just about fun and food! Golf is a game played often during peak UV hours, and if played correctly doesn’t offer the opportunity to play in shaded areas. This event was an opportunity to educate golfers on how to stay sun-safe while playing the sport they love. Tilley donated hats to protect each golfer’s head, neck and face from UV rays. This helps take care of the COVER-UP aspect of sun safety. Neutrogena donated SUNSCREEN to ensure all golfers have the supply of SPF they need for the day and beyond. Each chef and each hole had a tented area available to keep golfers in the SHADE as they took breaks to enjoy a delicious bite or a thirst-quenching beverage.
Melanoma Canada’s fundraising events are ALL designed to promote sun safety awareness, to prevent skin cancers. , our new celebrity pickleball tournament, will offer the same message. As the fastest-growing sport in North America, pickleball is popular amongst various age groups. The sport has seen a surge in popularity especially when the weather is warmer in Canada. Like tennis, pickleball is often played outdoors and without shade. Melanoma Canada’s new tournament, taking place in Toronto on September 30th and Montreal on May 4th will give picklers the opportunity to play against some of their favourite celebrities, while educating players on the importance of staying sun-safe while they play.
In February, we will be bringing back our popular winter sun safety and fundraising event, the 7 Summits Snowshoe Challenge presented by Neutrogena. The event has garnered attention across the country, as snowshoers and winter sports enthusiasts take on the 43.26KM or as many as can be completed during the winter’s shortest month. The event is designed to shine a light on the importance of practicing sun safety year-round; as the sun reflects off of ice and snow and can be just as dangerous in the winter as it is in the summer.
These events are not just about having fun – we’re trying to raise funds to support programs like our Mole Mobile, Canada’s first mobile skin cancer screening unit. With a goal of launching a second mobile skin cancer screening unit on the road in 2024, we need your help now more than ever! Join us this fall or winter to learn, have fun, and stay safe from the sun at any of our events.
As it gets colder, don’t forget to wear your sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses. Let’s take care of our skin all year round!
