Hub Staff

Despite a wet start to the day, the rain held off for enough of the 20th Annual Jeff Preston Celebrity Golf Tournament for it to be another huge success. The tournament took place on Friday, July 17th at the Saugeen Golf Club.

Organized by the Port Elgin Rotary Club, the tournament raises funds for Muscular Dystrophy research, a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.

Kevin Carter, one of the event organizers estimated that this year's total will bring the tournament to $1.4 million in total given to the cause. “We donate $25,000 from the tournament, it usually gets matched by Jesse's Journey who we've been donating it to,” said Carter.

Jesse's Journey is a registered charitable organization that funds research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a certain type of Muscular Dystrophy.

Dr. Jeff Preston said that this year was the tournament's 20th year. “It's amazing it's been going for this long and still doing well.”

Preston, after whom the tournament is named, was born in Port Elgin and diagnosed with Congenital Muscular Dystrophy when he was 3 months old. He mentioned the day's wet weather. “We're pretty sure there are two [other wet] days. There was a couple years ago we had a bit of a freak thunderstorm that lasted about 20 minutes and then it was sunny again and then one of the early early years it rained really bad but it cleared.”

A total of 37 teams comprised of 186 players, including 40 celebrities such as former sports professionals, local personalities and politicians, competed in the tournament with a shot-gun start at 11am. Following the tournament, a buffet dinner, speeches, a live auction including signed NHL jerseys and cheque as well as prize presentations was enjoyed.