Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/165363
iG1308--proof2 8/28/13 8:42 AM Page 1 THE FIRST TEE BY BRYAN OUTRAM Giving A Helping Hand ALL IMAGES COURTESY THAT FACILITY Volunteers Across Alberta Step Up 12 Natural disaster offers the opportunity for collective effort and the pulling together of a community but the way Albertans have stepped up after the floods is beyond amazing. There are countless reports of volunteers from all walks of life giving their time and labour. Golf courses near water were particularly hard hit and even as the waters began to recede, volunteers could be seen wading out with shovels and buckets and whatever tools they could wield to aid in the process of recovery. With more than 30 courses receiving significant damage and, at some courses, literally hundreds of people showing up to help, the number of stories of support is enormous. One course particularly hard hit was Mckenzie Meadows. The images of it on the internet beggared belief and it resonated with many including Calgary resident and longtime iG Feature writer Lisa "Longball" Vlooswyk. Lisa recalled her thoughts upon seeing what had occured, "McKenzie Meadows Golf Course was one of the hardest hit golf courses in the Calgary area. When they put the call out to volunteers, I wanted to pitch in. I have a close relationship with the course. Head professional Richard Hardy and GM Scott Orban are so helpful every year in letting me test drivers on their fantastic par 5 first hole." "I went down with rubber boots, grubby clothes and sunscreen and joined dozens of volunteers who were either members or community residents who just wanted to help out and even non-golfers who just wanted to lend a hand to a business in need. Although I came home with mosquito bites and sore hands, it was such a rewarding experience. Albertans are amazing people that come together to help those in need!" Their efforts helped save much of the course and in an email newsletter COO Scott Orban recognized their contribution, "Many of you have been part of our recovery process and this has made a great difference when combining your efforts with our dedicated staff." As of going to print, their driving range had opened and the Bar and Grill is open Wednesday to Sunday. On their website, it says "McKenzie Meadows still needs your help. If you're only available for a couple of hours or even all day, please come down to the pro shop Monday thru Friday after 8 AM. We appreciate any help that you can give." Another area course that took a big hit was the Inglewood Golf and Curling Club which has the Bow River bordering a good part of the layout. The entire course was flooded as they started the clean-up and rebuilding process. Close to 200 members then stepped up doing whatever jobs needed. The front nine is now open and in good shape according to GM Jason Stanier with the back nine set to open by early September at the latest. Another facility hard hit was the Golf Canada Calgary Centre where Golf Canada sent out seven employees from Ontario to help with the clean up. Golf Canada's Morgan Bell remembers her emotions on arriving in Calgary, "The volunteer support was incredible. The Calgary community is absolutely amazing the way they all came together in support of their community was really something to witness and their spirit was contagious. The volunteers showed up each day with smiles on their faces and were so willing to tackle any task we assigned them. The jobs weren't easy either as a lot of them were extremely tiring in the extreme heat that hit Calgary right after the flood but each of them embraced every challenge and worked so hard out of the goodness of their hearts." As of print date, their driving range is now open daily.