Calgary man golfs ‘til he drops to raise money for the Special Olympics
June 21 marks the day with the most with the most sunlight in a year. Kevin Leibel spent the entire day doing something he loves, playing golf.
But Leibel isn’t just doing this for the love of the game. He’s golfing to help raise money for the Special Olympics.
For Leibel it’s a cause that hits close to home.
“I had a cousin who has down syndrome and he played in Special Olympics growing up," Leibel said, in an interview with CTV News. "I saw how much joy and happiness he got out of it, he did athletics, and the confidence and the fun that he had so I had to get involved.”
Leibel became a Special Olympics coach, but wanted to do more, so he came up with something he calls the Sunrise to Sunset Golf Challenge.
He had to get up 3:30 a.m. to make it to River Spirit Golf Club for his 5:08 a.m tee time. He’ll play until sunset which is set for 9:55 p.m.
If that didn’t already sound tough enough, he won’t be riding in any golf carts. His goal is to walk at least 110 holes of golf.
SUPPORT NETWORK
But he won’t have to play all of those holes alone. He has several friends he’s enlisted to play as part of his sunrise to sunset golf journey.
One of those who will be playing alongside Leibel today is long time friend Stephen Morris. Morris and Leibel have been friends since the eighth grade.
This is the first time Morris has golfed in three years and he says he’ll struggle just to play 18 holes. He can’t believe what his friend is doing.
“It’s pretty amazing what he’s doing for the Special Olympics and the fundraising and everything. His coaching has been such a great job so I’m really proud of him, he’s doing a great thing.”
While not playing today, Leibel will have his biggest supporter by his side, his wife Sarah. She can’t contain how proud she is of her husband.
“Yeah it’s so great to see him turn his passion into something really meaningful for Special Olympics. He also gets so much out of coaching, he gets so inspired by the athletes, so it’s just really fun to see it all come together today.”
Since starting fundraising in May, Leibel has collected roughly $12,500 in donations. He’s hoping to get past the $13,000 mark by the end of the day.
He also has big plans to grow the event. Leibel is hoping next year to fundraise with two other golfers, and to eventually turn the event into a full-blown tournament.
For those interested in donating, go to www.alldaygolf.ca which will direct donations to the Special Olympics website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.