brenda.vowden@nzme.co.nz
"We seem to be struggling to get teams signed up this year but as always we can never have too many sponsors," says Dementia Hawkes Bay Charitable Trust (DHBCT) office manager Melanie West.
This year's September 10 event is the 18th annual charity golf tournament the trust has run.
"This is one of the key events on our awareness/fundraising calendar and we are excited to hold this again at Tthe Hastings Golf Club at Bridge Pa," Melanie says.
She describes the event as a fun ambrose style tournament, which is a format which allows for all standards of golfers to mix and play together with equal enjoyment.
Melanie says funds raised from the tournament stay in the Bay to help the three houses run by the trust.
"Our purpose is to inspire and empower our community to live well with dementia. The members of both our community liaison and day programme teams encourage independence, allowing those with a diagnosis of dementia to stay in their own home for as long as possible and delays the need for residential care."
The community liaison team provides industry education, carer support groups, carer and client education and community awareness to the members of our community.
The day programme team provides socialisation as well as both cognitive and physical stimulation to dementia clients with the active brain programme and a variety of other activities at both the Hastings, Chatham and Napier, Mahana sites.
"Client care partners receive day respite as they are able to leave their loved ones in the safe and friendly environment of our centres," Melanie says.
Although there are some "good prizes" donated so far for the Dementia Hawke's Bay 18th Annual Golf Tournament, they are needing a lot more to fill the ranks.
"Currently we have Cape Kidnappers supplying rounds of golf, McClurgs jewellers supplying great watches, Potaka Photography have put in some photo shoots, Stephenson and Taylor with some plasma cut garden screens, Rugby Union has got some signed items and we have others supplying gift baskets and beauty products."
Melanie says they are hoping to get some wineries in and some "good auction items".
"This year we also have opportunities for businesses to sponsor a hole — they can put up flags and banners at each tee. This is $230 including GST."
On the day there will be board members volunteering as well as the management team running the event.
"We hope to have a team or two made up of some of the regular volunteers who run our service normally — a bit of a thank you for their hard work. We so far have one business that has sponsored a team for us to use for volunteers."
The timetable for the day is 12.30pm shotgun start with teams starting at their allocated start hole. Food and drinks are set up at certain holes around the course. Golf finishes at 4.30pm when more food is available. The auction takes place at 5pm and then results and prizes are awarded.
■ To register email events@dementiahb.org.nz . For more information visit https://www.dementiahb.org.nz/golf-registration/, https://www.facebook.com/dementiahawkesbay or https://www.instagram.com/dementiahb/
