All fun and games at Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor’s charity golf tournament

Second annual fundraiser returns to Loch March Golf & Country Club in support of Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE)

From left, CAPCORP investment specialist Brian Hay worked together with Escape Manor co-owners Chris Bisson and Billy Rogers to build the tallest tower during one of the challenges included in the charity golf tournament for ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education), presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor, at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
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Only a charity golf tournament presented by Escape Manor, in partnership with Mann Lawyers, could turn a day on the course at Loch March Golf & Country Club into a real-life adventure with brain-stumping puzzles, hidden clues and surprises.

Each of the 18 holes offered something different to get golfers working together to solve or strategize before they took their swings. 

“Corporate events can be a little rigid, a little stiff, so the idea was to try and just create a little bit of fun,” explained co-organizer Neil Schwartz, who leads the business law group at Mann Lawyers and is co-owner at interactive entertainment company Escape Manor.  

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The lawyer and entrepreneur is also a community volunteer, serving on the board of local charity ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education). It was the returning beneficiary of Thursday’s fundraiser. The local non-profit organization strives to remove barriers for learning and to prepare local students for success. It runs the School Breakfast Program, Volunteers in Education, Junior Achievement Ottawa, OttawaReads and Classroom Gardens. The School Breakfast Program currently provides more than 22,000 healthy breakfasts every school day to children and youth in Ottawa.

Bank of Montreal (BMO) stepped up as top sponsor for the second annual tournament, which was expected to raise close to $40,000 for ONFE through sponsorship, silent auction bidding and raffle proceeds.

From left, Mann Lawyers partner and Escape Manor co-owner Neil Schwartz, ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education) director of advancement Mitch Miller, and Escape Manor co-owner Steve Wilson at a charity golf tournament presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor in support of ONFE at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Johnny Karmaker, Sylvain Brisebois, Ananth Parthasarathy, Mathieu Poulin and Zahir Issa, all with top sponsor Bank of Montreal (BMO), at a charity golf tournament presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Ottawa lawyer and entrepreneur Neil Schwartz, from Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor, welcomed golfers to the second annual charity golf tournament organized by his firm and interactive entertainment company Escape Manor at Loch March Golf & Country Club in Kanata on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Schwartz’s business partner, Steve Wilson, was the mastermind behind the added puzzles, riddles and games that provided players with a chance to win prizes. There was zero risk of anyone being stuck on the course after dark, still stumped on a challenge. Golfers were given only a limited amount of time to solve them.

Adding a layer of fun at each hole was considerable work, Wilson acknowledged. “I’m smiling and happy now because, although it’s been months of planning, everything is now ready to roll, and I’m elated and proud,” said Wilson of the funds they were raising to help a worthy charity.

Also working hard behind the scenes were Martha Jeacle, marketing and office manager for Mann Lawyers, and Ann Moran from ONFE.

Some of the more popular stations included beer stein pong, a football toss, axe throwing and a challenge that required teams to serenade the bartenders from Manor Lounge with their favourite song. Some teams did musical numbers with choreographed moves while others kept it simple, selecting the ubiquitous Happy Birthday Song or O Canada.

Putt for Potables had bottles of alcohol as targets that golfers tried to aim their golf balls toward. If they got lucky and hit one, they could take the bottle home. There was an expensive bottle of  Clase Azul tequila donated by event sponsor Byron Rental Properties that everyone was focused on.

From left, Lisa Campagna, Preston Randall, Haidyn Picco and Karen Gibson, all with Royal LePage Performance Marland Realty, added dance moves to their singing performance of Don McLean’s classic American Pie at the charity golf tournament for ONFE, presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips

At one of the holes, golfers had to collect Jenga blocks that were scattered nearby, using the pieces to build the tallest tower. Teams were given one minute to complete the task. The height was measured by the volunteers from RBC using a clipboard as a makeshift ruler.

Unfortunately, the BMO team saw its tower collapse, leaving it with only seconds to rebuild it. That the surface was slightly slanted was an extra challenge, said Sylvain Brisebois, senior portfolio manager at BMO Nesbitt Burns, before adding with a smile:  “What I failed to account for was the 13 per cent angle on the RBC table.”

From left, Johnny Karmaker, private banker at BMO Private Wealth, Luc Labbé (partner at Marcil Lavallée), BMO senior portfolio manager Sylvain Brisebois and Jason Warwick from BMO Private Wealth build a Jenga tower before playing their hole at the charity golf tournament for ONFE, presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips
That’s Crystal Farentino from RBC using her clipboard to carefully measure the tower built by the Escape Manor team at the charity golf tournament it co-hosted with Mann Lawyers in support of ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education). Photo by Caroline Phillips

Among the golfers to thoroughly enjoy herself that day was Haidyn Picco from Royal LePage Performance Marland Realty.  “I’m not an avid golfer, but I love games and I love competition,” she told OBJ.social.

Picco said she’s already thinking ahead to next year about her team’s strategy on the Jenga challenge. “We need to work smarter, not harder.”

Nick Giorgio, vice president of operations at Byron Rental Properties, described the day as “incredible” —not just because of the games and great weather, but also for the charity they were supporting.

“In the end, you have good company and whatnot, but it’s the cause that’s dear to our hearts,” he told OBJ.social. “Being able to put food in the mouths of children at school, or just before school, is for us a win-win. We’re playing golf and we’re also contributing.”

McCay Duff LLP partner Adam Brisson “loved” the day, adding that there was “a little something for everybody” in terms of activities. “As professionals, we attend a lot of golf tournaments, but when it’s for a charity like ONFE, it’s always nice to help and give back in any way we can,” said Brisson.

Following the golf, the good times continued. Everyone gathered for a cocktail reception, with live music provided by The 20th Century Boys, and dinner. The order in which guests were served was, unsurprisingly, decided by a game. The highest scorer of the cornhole toss got to eat first.

Haidyn Picco, a sales representative at Royal LePage Performance Marland Realty, had some success during her team’s round of beer stein pong, where participants could possibly win tickets to Beau’s Oktoberfest tonight at Manor Lounge. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Paterson & Company partner Corey Roberts, RBC Tucker Wealth Management senior wealth advisor Diane Tucker, RBC commercial account manager Rachel Allan, and Tom Hoy, associate advisor at RBC Tucker Wealth Management, at the charity golf tournament for ONFE presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Geoff Blair, regional sales director for security operations company Arctic Wolf, aims his football at a throwing net as one of the challenges organized for golfers at the charity golf tournament for ONFE, presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Dino Giorgio of Byron Rental Properties, John Bethune (vice president of the Ottawa branch of BFL Canada), Bousada flooring’s managing partner, Kris Bowles, and Nick Giorgio, vice president of operations at Byron Rental Properties, at the charity golf tournament for ONFE presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, MNP partners Madison Popkie (who’s expecting her first child in another month) and Danielle Bergeron-Walsh volunteered at the beer stein pong station during the charity golf tournament presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, McCay Duff LLP senior manager Stephanie Courneyea, firm partner Adam Brisson, senior manager Nicole Merriman and tax partner Greg Kauffeldt at the whisky and margarita station, where golfers had a chance to win a large bin of sample-sized whisky bottles by guessing how many there were. Photo by Caroline Phillips
The team from Canadian Women in Medicine, seen golfing in the Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor charity golf tournament, was easy to spot on the course at Loch March Golf & Country Club in Kanata due to their matching burgundy tracksuits. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Golfers were ready to set off for an afternoon of games and golfing at the charity tournament for ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education), presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club in Kanata on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
That’s Steve Wilson, co-owner of immersive entertainment company Escape Manor scrambling to collect Jenga blocks during one of the games organized during the charity golf tournament for ONFE by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, lawyers Ariel Fried and Brandon Doughty from Ottawa law firm Mann Lawyers and Glen Gillies and Kathlene Evanski, both from BMO Nesbitt Burns,  at the charity golf tournament for ONFE presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Kevin Tippett and Tom Hunt from Baker Tilly Canada participated in the safety axe throwing challenge during the charity golf tournament for ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education) presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
Breanne Wenek, district sales manager at Sysco Canada, threw her head back in frustration after her ball narrowly missed hitting the bottle of Clase Azul tequila at the Putt for Potables station, as part of the charity golf tournament presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Sarah Toll and Susan Chell, broker at RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group, supported the charity golf tournament for ONFE (Ottawa Network for Education), presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024. Photo by Caroline Phillips
From left, Mann Lawyers co-managing partner Heather Austin-Skaret, ONFE president and CEO Heather Norris, St. Mark High School principal Alison Strucchelli and Mann Lawyers co-managing partner André Martin at the dinner portion of the charity golf tournament for ONFE, presented by Mann Lawyers and Escape Manor at the Loch March Golf & Country Club on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2024. Photo by Mitch Miller

 

caroline@obj.ca

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