Sunny skies, smiling faces, and some incredible golf—these factors came together for the BC Insulation Contractors’ Association’s (BCICA) 10th Annual Mesothelioma Golf Tournament, held at Northview Golf & Country Club in Surrey this May.
This year’s landmark event sold out at 144 participants who came out for 18 holes, almost all of which featured something special. From Marble Slab Creamery ice cream and mini burgers, to canolli and goodies that came round by golf cart, there was plenty to keep golfers’ taste buds working over time. Beat the Pro and the airgun hole were classic favourites—there were three hole-in-ones with $5,000, $20,000, and $50,000 cash prizes, and although nobody won the prize the golfers had a fun time trying. The grand prize was a trip to Las Vegas plus $500 spending money, won by Scott McCloy; Randy Kika won 86 bottles of assorted wine in the Wine Draw.
BCICA’s Andre Pachon said the golf tournament is Western Canada’s only source of funding into mesothelioma research and pre-screening. Many men and women die each year from asbestos-related illness—in 2015, asbestos deaths accounted for 33 per cent of all workplace fatalities. In the past decade, 584 people have lost their lives because of asbestos, which accounts for 40 per cent of all work-related deaths in that time period. This is what keeps the team at BCICA motivated to raise money and help the cause.
Over the previous nine years, the BCICA raised $383,368 towards pre-screening work and equipment, work led by Dr. Stephen Lam at BC Cancer Agency. After this year’s event, the association wrote a cheque to the cause for $100,000. The government still does not fund pre-screening for asbestos illness.
Congratulations to the team at BCICA for another successful tournament, and thank you to all the tournament’s generous sponsors. We couldn’t do it without you. Start planning now for next year’s BCICA Mesothelioma Golf Tournament, schedule for Friday, May 25 (mark your calendars!) and watch www.bcica.org for updates and registration materials.
