The Gord Bamford Foundation recently announced several new beneficiaries.
MusiCounts, Big Brothers Big Sisters Lacombe and District, Red Deer College’s Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities were added to the list of over 60 different organizations supported by the Foundation.
Last year, the Gord Bamford Golf Tournament and Gala raised over $3 million in the 10th year of the Foundation.
Bamford was excited to add to the growing list of recipients.
“All the organizations are very much youth-driven and about kids,” he said.
“It has been important to us from day one to maintain the drive for it to be about the youth. I don’t make the decisions about who gets the funding, but it is driven towards a lot of stuff that impacted my life along the way as a little fella’ all the way to where I am at today.”
For the disbursements MusiCounts received $100,000 over five years; Big Brothers Big Sisters Lacombe & District received $100,000 over five years; RDC’s Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre received $50,000 over two years; Hockey Alberta Foundation, Every Kid Every Community received $50,000 over five years and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities also received a disbursement.
Tim Leer, executive director of the Hockey Alberta Foundation was pleased to be on the list.
“Together, with the support of special teammates such as the Gord Bamford Foundation, the Every Kid Every Community grant program will continue to grow, leading to more Alberta communities and kids enjoying the great game of hockey.”
Bamford, who has since moved back to Central Alberta from Nashville, said it is important for him to be part of the community he calls home.
“We are back here now living in Bashaw. We are part of these communities and we have children growing up and doing all that stuff as well. Hopefully one day they will benefit from all this as well,” he said.
Bamford said that while it’s his name on the Foundation, it is the donations from the community that help make it all possible.
“People need to understand it is all the people that have been coming to the golf event we started 11 years ago. It has gone to a place we never even dreamed of. It is a massive event, probably one of the biggest celebrity charity events in all of Canada. Ninety-five per cent of the people there from day one are still there,” he said.
He added the Foundation is looking to expand to other events in order to raise more money for the community
“We are in talks now to develop a couple more events so we can continue to raise money. We get so many applications every year and for me it is a life-changing experience to donate money and help people out. It makes you feel good and you want to continue to raise more and more money,” he said.