RANDON – The legacy of the IG Wealth Management Bobcat BIRT Cup continues to grow.
The alumni and charity tournament raised $44,000 for community initiatives on Friday, July 5 at the Wheat City Golf Course.
Proceeds will go towards Special Olympics Manitoba Westman, Samaritan House, the Deloraine Winchester Community Complex and the Bobcat BIRT Cup scholarship to assist Brandon University student-athletes.
“The IG Wealth Management Western Manitoba Regional Office is proud to be the title sponsor of the Bobcat BIRT Cup. We applaud the tournament’s commitment to providing funding to local and regional organizations,” said Dennis Hunt, Executive Financial Consultant with IG Wealth Management. “We have a long-standing partnership with Brandon University, supporting a number of fundraising initiatives such as the Healthy Living Centre and growth in the BU Athletics program. We are pleased to be associated with a post-secondary institution that prides itself on being at the forefront of education in western Manitoba and providing the best student-athlete experience possible.”
The 2019 BIRT Cup marked the second summer it has been organized by BU Athletics with the 2018 edition collecting $29,000.
The Bobcats took over from BU hockey alum Scott Hlady, who ran it independently for a decade.
The BIRT name stands for Basics, Intensity, Respect, Team — an acronym coined by BU Sports of Wall of Famer the late Neil Andrews while he was Hlady’s baseball coach
“The Bobcat BIRT Cup organizing committee is proud to give back to worthwhile causes,” said Director of Athletics and Community Engagement Russ Paddock. “We had great representation from athletic alumni and outstanding support through our positive relationships with corporate partners.”
The business community played significant role in the success of the tournament with 101 sponsors supporting the Bobcat BIRT Cup.
The lineup of autographed jerseys was stellar featuring Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights, Elkhorn’s Travis Sanheim of the Philadelphia Flyers, Patrik Laine and Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets, Brandon’s Matt Calvert of the Colorado Avalanche and Canada’s Olympic women’s hockey team.
A Wendel Clark signed Toronto Maple Leafs’ sweater received a winning bid of $2,000 in the silent auction by Don Jago of Southern Water Systems.
Brandon’s Gerry Williams was the grand prize winner of the raffle – two tickets the NHL Heritage Classic in Regina on October 26 along with hotel accommodations.
New champions were crowned at the Bobcat BIRT Cup with Warren Birch, Devin Moore, Josh McMillan and Craig Ruether winning the title with a best-ball score of 19-under par.
The foursome will look to defend their crown at the 2020 tournament scheduled for Friday, July 10 at the Wheat City Golf Course.
(Source: BU Bobcats)
