THUNDER BAY – Over the past five years, the Golf Balls from Heaven Drop has raised more than $300,000 to help support families struggling with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.
The pot grew on Friday, when more than 4,000 golf balls fell from the sky – more precisely a large container suspended by a Wisk Air helicopter – and bounced onto the 18th fairway at Whitewater Golf Club.
When all was said and done and the balls had settled into the grass, Jenna Fatkin’s was closest to the pin, nestled up against it for what would have been a surefire hole-in-one. She took home the top prize of $5,000.
Elizabeth McLennan won the $3,000 second prize and Karen Sanghera was third, winning $2,000.
The event, inspired by the late Dustin Barr, who heroically battled cancer for a third of his life, while pursuing his golf dream before dying at age 24 in March 2020, is a great way to honour the memory of her brother, said Kaitlyn Barr on Friday.
“My brother battled cancer for eight years. For people who get diagnosed with cancer, specifically children in Thunder Bay, lots of these families have to relocate to Toronto, London, to get the medical attention they need,” Kaitlyn said.
“My family went through that. My parents were business owners and they were working back here in Thunder Bay and their bills don’t stop here while they’re living in Toronto. We want to help families going through the same thing.”
Dustin Wilson, director of operations for the Raising the Barr Charity Golf Classic, which teed off shortly after the ball drop, said it’s important to keep Dustin Barr’s memory alive and what better way to do so than by giving back to the community?
“The Barr family went through that for years, so they understand all the extraordinary cost and everything that goes along with supporting a loved one. When we get to give back to families, it really means a lot,” Wilson said. “Having an event like this and being able to drop some golf balls from the sky, calling it Golf Balls from Heaven, I know Dustin Barr would be looking down, pretty proud about what we’re doing.”
Wilson said they were hoping to raise $70,000 from this year’s event.
