Fairwinds Golf Course will play host to a month-long fundraiser for the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation. (Fairwinds Golf Course)

By Alex Rawnsley

GOLF FOR LIFE

Hole in 30: Hospital Foundation, Fairwinds extend ICU fundraiser through entire month

Aug 30, 2020 | 7:27 AM

NANAIMO — A wildly important annual fundraiser will proceed this year, with a COVID-19 twist.

The 27th annual Golf for Life event at Fairwinds was extended to run the entire month of September in a bid to distance golfers and provide a safer environment to golf

The fundraiser is for a new intensive care unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH).

“The one day event that’s always been very popular would be very difficult to do this year. Fairwinds came up with this incredible idea, worked with us to put it together. They are literally giving us a month of support,” Janice Perino, Hospital Foundation CEO, told NanaimoNewsNOW.

In a typical year, Golf for Life raises between $75,000 and $100,000 with up to 144 golfers taking part.

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Money is raised through portions of each registration, sponsorship and $10,000 in matching funds from Fairwinds.

The renovation of the intensive care unit at NRGH is a $5 million project, of which Perino said $1.5 million has already been raised.

The final designs and construction schedules are still being worked out.

“(Once completed) this hospital will have what it needs so that whenever we have these major pandemics, traumas, whatever the issues are our patients will have the best physical space to serve the whole north and central Island.”

Around 100 golfers have registered out of more than 300 available spaces.

Tee times are available throughout the month and registration can be done online through the Fairwinds website.

alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley