After a one-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the President’s Golf Classic returned to  St. Catharines Golf and Country Club Monday, Sept. 27 and raised $65,000 for Brock University student-athlete scholarships.

More than 100 golfers showed their support for the Brock Badgers by hitting the links for the 18th edition of the tournament, which was opened with remarks from Brock Interim President Lynn Wells.

“Student-athletes are such remarkable members of our University,” Wells said. “They need our support because these are hard-working young people. They have a lot of commitments to meet every day as they balance their school grades at a high level while meeting the demands of their sport. Every bit of support makes a huge difference in their lives.”

The tournament was founded by former Brock President David Atkinson and the late David S. Howes as a way to help Brock’s student-athletes.

Howes felt the community needed to learn how committed student-athletes were to becoming successful on and off the field. He felt easing their financial considerations would dramatically help them reach their goals.

Since its inception, the President’s Golf Classic has raised $1.5 million for athletics at Brock.

“These contributions support current and future Badgers in upholding the high standard of what it means to be a Brock University student-athlete as we’re trailblazers in sports, academics and leaders in the community,” said Rebekah Feld, a fourth-year Medical Sciences student who is also a member of the women’s hockey team. “Not only are these sponsors funding our now, but they’re also funding our future.”

After the 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled, Wells said it was refreshing to have the Brock community come together with sponsors for a great cause.

“I am a huge fan of student-athletes, and they are very near and dear to my heart,” said Wells, whose son plays for the MacEwan University men’s basketball team in Alberta. “It’s amazing to have our student-athletes alongside our sponsors and members of the Brock community for that sense of renewal, so we can come together again as people to support our University.”

Rankin Construction was the presenting sponsor for the fourth-consecutive tournament.

“Our Brock Badger family is pleased to have Rankin Construction and such strong members of the community supporting student-athletes,” said Melissa Krist, Director, Brock Sports. “So many of our community businesses went through a difficult time during the pandemic, so for them to show this kind of support means a lot to our program. We wouldn’t be here today without them.”

Other major sponsors included Whiting Equipment Canada, Aramark Corporation, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Brock Plaza Corporation, Mawer Investment Management, PepsiCo, Brock University Alumni Association, GardaWorld Security Corp., architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson, Attridge Transportation, Rogers Communications, Scotiabank, AllianceBernstein Investment Management Services, WSP, Aon Insurance Company, Commercial Cleaning Services and Cinemastage.