Sun shines on TravelBrands’ 10th Charity Golf Classic; nearly $621K raised for SickKids

Mother Nature must be a TravelBrands fan.

What began as a soggy, rain-soaked morning eventually cleared into an afternoon of sunshine, blue skies, and big smiles—setting the stage perfectly for TravelBrands’ 10th annual Charity Golf Classic at Eagles Nest Golf Club in north Toronto on Thursday (Sept. 4).

This year’s tournament, which welcomed 144 golfers (with more attending a post-game dinner) wasn’t just about golf swings and birdies—it marked a decade of TravelBrands giving back to the SickKids Foundation (which is also marking its 150th anniversary),

The milestone was celebrated in true industry style: with camaraderie, generosity, sponsored holes and a whole lot of fundraising power.

“I love how our industry comes together,” said Nathalie Tanious, president & CEO of H.I.S. Canada Travel Inc., parent company of TravelBrands. “Whether we’re partners, customers or competitors, we put everything aside because it’s for a great cause.”

Attendees enjoyed an action-packed day on the course, highlighted by fun games and activations at every hole, from golf darts and Connect Four to the popular golf ball air cannon. 

Culinary experiences ranged from food trucks and a freshly shucked oyster bar to a gelato cart, cannoli station, Caesar bar, and rum tastings, while a dramatic helicopter ball drop, later on, kept the crowd looking skyward.

Feel the love 

Since its launch, TravelBrands’ golf event has rallied travel partners, colleagues, and friends around a single mission: to help SickKids advance world-leading research, patient care, and education in child health.

Over the past ten years, that mission has paid off in a big way. TravelBrands’ golf classic has raised more than $2.44 million to date, which doesn’t include the impressive $620,887.82 raised this year alone.

Much of this year’s success came from community spirit and a little help from the FDC Foundation, which generously matched every dollar raised—doubling the impact of every contribution.

The day wasn’t without surprises either. PAX, one of several media partners, added a fun twist during the pre-dinner cocktail by handing out scratch-and-win cards to attendees. The catch? Whatever amount was revealed three times, PAX would donate it to SickKids.

The night’s biggest winner was Stephen Goulding, country manager – Canada at Virgin Atlantic, who scratched out a whopping $1,000.

During dinner, the PAX team presented a cheque worth $4,635 to TravelBrands to boost its fundraising efforts, adding to other activations that night, such as prize-filled silent and live auctions.

SickKids patient ambassador 

But the most heartwarming moment of the evening came when TravelBrands-H.I.S. introduced guests to this year’s SickKids patient ambassador, eight-year-old Henry.

Born with a critical heart defect in 2017, Henry, in SickKids care, underwent a 13-hour open-heart surgery to reconstruct his aortic arch when he was just six days old.

“That's longer than a Lord of the Rings marathon – but with far higher stakes,” said Stephanie, Henry’s mother, addressing the room.

That procedure was followed by three days on life support, a second open-heart surgery, and three months in the ICU before Henry was finally able to go home at four months old.

As a toddler, he later endured two eye surgeries that preserved his vision.

Now thriving, Henry is a spirited eight-year-old who loves hockey, WWE wrestling, and pizza.

His mom, Stephanie, described SickKids as a place “where fear meets courage and where uncertainty turns into hope.”

“[SickKids] is a place that gave Henry a future – where kids like Henry can become champions,” she said.

Speaking with PAX earlier in the day, Tanious remarked how the fundraiser kicks off the fall-winter season “like a new school year.”

“The timing of this is great. It allows us to start a new beginning,” she said. “The plan is to always actively contribute to a community. When we all come together, we can move mountains.”

Beyond the golf course, TravelBrands backs SickKids Foundation through meaningful initiatives like the Employee 5KM Walk and SickKids Day, where one per cent of sales help fund the foundation’s important work.

And the winners are...

This year's tournament winners were as follows: 

• Top Team: MSC Cruises (Ian Patterson, Marc Healy, Anthony Della Sala, & Darren Edwardson
• Men's Longest Drive: John Varetta
• Ladies Closest to the PIN: Leslie Lorette
• Men's Closest to the PIN: Hideo Hatano
• Ladies Longest Drive: Pat Brady
• Closest to the Mic: Nat Allen
• Beat the Pro: Kyle Lohnes
• Roll the Dice: Pat Brady
• Plinko: Carmine Caldero
• Golf Darts: Dimitri Fando
• JTB Activity: Todd Lindey and George Kalgeris
• Helicopter Ball Drop: Sandra Wesson

To see more pictures from the day, click and "like" PAX's facebook page here.

Watch PAX's interview with Nathalie Tanious, president & CEO of H.I.S. Canada Travel Inc, where she unpacks the significance of the day.

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