THUNDER BAY – The second annual Autism Northwest Golf Tournament was held Monday at the Fort William Country Club, bringing together community members, pro athletes, and supporters to raise awareness and funds for autism-related programs across the region.
The day also featured an adaptive golf workshop led by Alex Fourie, the No. 1 ranked one-armed golfer in the U.S.
Fourie didn’t just impress with his skills, he inspired with his story.
Born in Ukraine with a cleft lip and palate, and a missing arm as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Fourie has undergone 27 surgeries. He’s used golf as a tool not only for personal growth but to empower others.
On the Friday before the tournament, Fourie spoke to students at St. Ignatius High School, where he held a question and answer session focused on disability, bullying, and living with purpose.
He shared a particularly moving moment with one student.
"A kid, he had a cleft palate, and we talked about that. I had a cleft palette from Chernobyl, which is the nuclear disaster in Ukraine, I had 27 surgeries. He's had like 20 something and all of our surgeries are very similar. Our timelines are similar. I'm like, dude, I've been there. It was really cool connecting with just that one individual."
During Monday's tournament, players warmed up alongside participants of the adaptive clinic, directly seeing where their support goes.
“Golf fundraisers are awesome,” Fourie said. “If you do it right, you can raise a lot of money. we did an adaptive clinic, as people are warming up, so they can see where their money is going and they can see the immediate impact its going to have and meet some of the kids.”
Executive director of Autism Northwest Mark Kehl said they're trying to raise awareness and create more compassion and understanding.
Last year’s tournament, powered by strong community support, allowed the organization to run a full slate of programs, from music therapy and adaptive skateboarding to art therapy, all without government funding. This year, Kehl hopes to go even further.
“We’re going to get into therapeutic riding, sailing if we can with the kids,” Kehl added.
When asked about how much he is hoping to raise he said, "Awareness, growth. For me, I know money is important, but I want more people to know that we’re here, we’re available.”
One feature of the day was the Closest to the Hole challenge, hosted by Dan O’Toole, former TSN sportscaster. Golfers took their best shot to beat O’Toole on a par-3 hole. Those who landed closer to the pin earned a chance to win a customized golf club.
“I said, I want to stand on a par 3 all day and try to get closest to the pin and compete against people and raise money... I couldn't be happier than to be in Thunder Bay helping support such a wonderful cause and I get to play golf,” said O’Toole.
