The 24th edition of the World Partnership Golf returned to Camelot Golf & Country Club on Sept. 11 with a sold-out event and a record-setting fundraising total.
The golf tournament, organized by volunteers in support of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, was held in seven Canadian cities this year.
Donations made through World Partnership Golf directly support the foundation’s mission to reduce poverty in Africa and Asia.
Since its inception in 2000, the series of golf tournaments have raised more than $18 million.
The Ottawa event was chaired once again by Nadia Valji, a consultant for Align Technology.
She was supported by a team of volunteers including Nazaam Charania, a division manager at IG Wealth Management.
The Ottawa event was supported, for the first time ever, by a signature sponsor, Yorkville Asset Management.
The boutique investment firm was represented by Hayley Clift, Gary M Seveny and Jim Orban. Platinum sponsors included Dr. Alykhan Abdulla and Tia Photography.
Unlike in 2022 when golfers played through a downpour, golfers enjoyed ideal weather and pristine conditions at Camelot golf course.
After the golf round, guests gathered in the banquet hall at Camelot to enjoy live music from IssaBel Music and delicious hors d’oeuvres from Giovanni’s restaurant on Preston Street.
Emcee Michael Curran, publisher of the Ottawa Business Journal, presented several golf awards as guests enjoyed their meals.
The team with the best score was led by Dan Hunt of Scotia Wealth Management. On the flip side, the worst scoring team hailed from TD Commercial Banking, led by Maher Markabi.
Curran quipped he would rather have a banker that scores poorly in golf, but highly with customers.
The highlight of the evening was a stirring speech from Khalil Shariff, Aga Khan Foundation Canada CEO.
Referencing the dark days of the pandemic, Shariff said people must realize they can’t live behind walls. On the contrary, he said, the world is interconnected.
The foundation CEO said, for the first time in decades, the number of poor and hungry people is rising. Shariff urged guests to “get on the caravan” to help address global poverty.
Derick Fage of Rogers TV led a raucous live auction that had guests laughing out loud, while raising tens of thousands for charity.
The top live auction item, secured for $5,000, was a group dinner at the Indonesian embassy.
Guests also helped to raise funds by purchasing numbered golf balls that were entered into a raffle. The top prize, a private dining experience for eight at Beckta, was snagged by Erin Benjamin of the Canadian Live Music Association.
The banquet wrapped up with a giant cheque reveal, which informed golfers they had raised just shy of $200,000 for the Aga Khan Foundation Canada.
