On July 9th, the 38th annual Whistler’s Open golf tournament took place at Bear Creek Golf Club in support of the Sunnybrook Foundation.

The tournament has always been organized by NYHL officials and supervisors. For the first 25 years, the tournament committee consisted of Norm Belyea (VP and lifetime member), Steve Gerry (Referee in Chief/NYHL Treasurer), Dave Sega (former official) and Mike Brown (former official). This committee “retired” from organizing duties and a new committee took over at year 26 consisting of Steven Picco (current official and officiating manager), Steve Dunlop (current officiating manager), Del Cordeiro (former official and referee assignor) and Robert Brown (former official).

The committee is proud to be able to continue the tournament, especially over the last few years given the challenges that COVID and the pandemic had posed. They pride themselves on keeping the event as affordable as possible for officials and family members while still being able to offer a great day with prizes, contests, raffles and silent auctions.

The total fundraising impact in 2022 was $8,500. Since the tournament’s inception, Whistler’s has raised over $355,000 for Sunnybrook. Each year, the funds raised are donated in memory of Kevin Hill, a senior referee, who passed away at the age of 34 during the 1996-97 season due to complications arising from his battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

In 2009 Sunnybrook dedicated one of their patient rooms in the Critical Care Unit in the Whistler’s Open name to recognize their fundraising efforts.

In 2014, Sunnybrook ran a feature article for the tournament which can be read here.

If anyone would like to contact the committee regarding the tournament, their email address is whistlersopen26@gmail.com