New Tec mayor’s golf tournament sponsors a who’s who of development industry

New Tecumseth Free Press October 31, 2013
The sponsorship list for New Tecumseth mayor’s 6th Annual Links for Learning golf tournament is again heavy with development interests whose projects are before council in various stages of the approval process.
Maacon Construction Corporation, which paid $5,000 as a Double Platinum sponsor, is “Southern Ontario’s Professional Sewer and Watermain Installers‘ including working on the Tree Tops (Belterra subdivision).
There were 11 Platinum sponsors who would have paid $2,500 each including Ainley Group, Brookfield Homes, F&P Mfg, Feehely and Gastaldi (Town’s lawyer), Greenwood Ready Mix, Lisbon Paving, LRG Tottenham, MOSE Drywall Systems, Nottawasaga Inn Resort, Previn Court Homes, and Walton International.
Three bought Gold sponsors at a cost of $1,500 each, including Far Sight Homes, Insurance Bureau of Canada, and Sorbara Development Group.
JB Enterprises, Lee’s Sheds, O’Mahoney Concrete, Prudential Ronan Realty, and Rizzi Painting paid $1,000 each for Silver Sponsors. And Windows First paid $1,000 to sponsor Lunch. Other sponsorships cost $500 for Bronze, and $200 hole sponsorships.
Mayor Mike MacEachern said he doesn’t feel there are any problems soliciting sponsorships from those who do business with the Town or need council votes for their projects.
“Choosing to donate money to a municipal charity tournament in support of kids who may not be otherwise able to attend the university or college they choose because funding is a barrier benefits our entire Town,” mayor MacEachern said via email this afternoon. “Through Links for Learning, we have been able to support local youth including assisting more than 25 kids in their pursuit of further education. The municipality has been very fortunate that many individuals, small, medium and large local communtiy businesses have chosen to support this important tournament. There are any number of Municipally run tournaments locally and across the Province that would welcome any support that could be provided.”
Asked whose role it was to solicit sponsorships, he said, “any number of people volunteer to help with this task and those that do volunteer change year over year.”
The golf tournament has been shifted for organization to the Parks, Recreation, and Culture department, as well as a function of the Economic Development.
Last months, minutes from the Sept. 19th Economic Development advisory committee noted “problems encountered while fundraising for the Links for Learning Scholarship Golf Tournament.” EDAC chair Rob Glozier “discussed” difficulties soliciting sponsorships “in light of (New Tecumseth’s) recent awarding of tenders to out of town companies.”