Inaugural golf tournament for Abbeyfield House announced in Taylor

TAYLOR, B.C. — The first-ever golf tournament to raise funds for Abbeyfield House will take place at Taylor’s Lone Wolf Golf Course.

According to an April 14th Facebook post, the tournament takes place on Friday, May 29th. It will feature a best-ball format, with teams of four navigating the 18-hole course.

Abbeyfield House is a seniors’ residence in Fort St. John, which provides a balance of independent living and companionship for older local residents. 

Seniors pay rent for living quarters with meals and other services provided. The treasurer of Abbeyfield Fort St. John, Don Smith, told Energeticcity.ca what differentiates Abbeyfield from a typical seniors’ facility. 

“Here, we like to believe it’s non-institutional, so it’s not an institution. It’s a home,” said Smith.. “It’s a house for our residents.”

As an independent non-profit organization, however, Abbeyfield does not receive government funds. 

The idea to organize the tournament came from a previous board member, explained Abbeyfield Fort St. John’s president, Jim Harris.

“A previous board member approached us about having a tournament because of their prior involvement with Abbeyfield House,” said Harris. “They thought it was a great idea for us.”

The $600 cost for a team of four covers the round of golf, dinner, and golf cart use.

The event will also feature a silent auction and a skills competition, with events such as closest-to-the-pin taking place throughout the round.

Proceeds from the event will go toward operational costs and other expenses. The manager of Abbeyfield Fort St. John, Kimmy Fenton, described residents in the home as “one big family.”

“[Residents] have love and companionship from everyone, including the staff,” said Fenton. “It’s like one big family.”

Abbeyfield Fort St. John is part of Abbeyfield Canada Society, with 18 homes nationwide, according to its website.

The society is part of the international network of Abbeyfield Homes, which was established in 1956 in the United Kingdom.

The inaugural Abbeyfield House Golf tournament takes place on Friday, May 29th at Lone Wolf Golf Club at 9999 99th Avenue in the District of Taylor with a shotgun start at 11 a.m.

Registration can be done online on the event’s website. For further details, contact Lone Wolf directly by phone at (250) 789-3711.