Senators Community Foundation raises $362,000 for local charities at Sens Charity Open presented by Calian

The Senators Community Foundation raised $362,000 for local charities in support of children and youth in the Ottawa-Gatineau region on Tuesday at Rideau View Golf Club in Manotick on Tuesday.

The day consisted of an 18-hole tournament in a scramble format, accompanied by many on-course activities and activations. A raffle and silent auction helped to exceed the foundation’s philanthropic goal.

The president of the Senators Community Foundation, Jacquline Belsito, addressed the golfers in attendance ahead of the tournament, which included donors, corporate partners, and other supporters of the foundation.

“I want you to think about the kids and the families, and I know that you're working on your golf game and you're catching up with the players, but our shared objective today is to think about the kids,” said Belsito.

“Far too often, and maybe even among us, there's a parent who sat on the edge of a hospital bed or a mental health clinic, who would give absolutely anything to change places for their child. So those are the people who you're showing up for today, and I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for that.

“We talk a lot about impact, and absolutely it's measured in dollars and invested opportunities and frontline services that we provide, but that's actually not what impact feels like, right? It feels like a parent who doesn't have to carry this burden alone. It feels like a hug from Tammy Bell, who you’re going to meet on hole six.”

This year, the Sens Charity Open was presented by Calian. Belsito highlighted the support that the foundation has on military families to echo the remarks from Calian CEO Patrick Houston.

“We’re proud to be one of the sponsors that helped make this event possible, and work with the foundation to make a lasting impression in this community. One cause that’s particularly close to our heart at Calian is working with the armed forces and supporting the families that make it possible,” said Houston.

Representatives and families from Support our Troops were at Hole 10 on Tuesday, along with the Labonte family.

“We’re raising money for sport, we’re raising money for opportunity, and we’re raising money for healthcare,” described Belsito to TSN1200’s Gord Wilson and Dean Brown later in the day.

This was the first year that the Sens Charity Open was presented by Calian, and Belsito also touched on the significance of their partnership.

“We have similar values, and in particular, Calian reminds us that the people who serve for Canada go through things that are unimaginable, that we can’t relate to,” said Belsito. 

“You think about how often military families are asked to move around, but if they have a child with special needs, and they’ve got speech therapy, or physical therapy, and then you’re moving to another city, there’s no infrastructure for that… so some of the money we’re raising today helps those families with that undue burden that is put on them so that they can financially bridge that gap.”

Every Senators player was in attendance for the day, save for Jake Sanderson, who is in Las Vegas for the NHL's North American media tour. Senators general manager and president of hockey operations Steve Staios complimented the players for making the day possible.

“They're professional athletes, and their time is important to them, but they do want to give back. So, to that, I want to say thank you to my players. I'm proud of you guys, both on and off the ice,” said Staios.

“This is a great day. I'm proud to be here. And again, we keep in mind the community and how we reflect on our fans and our partners as well. And to give back like this on a day like this, we we're very pleased to be here.”

Children from HEROS Hockey, the Capital City Condors, Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa, Support our Troops, and select families from CHEO and RNCH were in attendance during the morning proceedings, and got a chance to meet the Senators.

The Ottawa Senators and Senators Community Foundation wish to thank the following partners and supporters for their help in making the Senators Charity Open such a success: presenting partner, Calian, platinum partners CIBC, Hard Rock Ottawa, Herzig Eye Institute, PCL Construction and Gold partners, Modern Niagara, CLV Group, DevCore/1Valet, KDP, Canadian Tire, Molson, Fullscript, Byron Property Rentals, EllisDon, BUMP and Pomerleau Group.

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