The Ontario Teamsters Invitational (“OTI”), hosted by Teamsters Joint Council No. 52, Employers & Friends, held its 21st Annual Golf Invitational on June 7th and 8th, 2010.  

As usual, the tournament was heralded with an evening Reception, which took place on June 7th, 2010 at the Capitol Banquet Centre, where the guests and participants of the OTI golf tournament received their team selections and took part in raffles, auctions and other fundraising attempts for Variety Village, The Children’s Charity.  The evening was hosted by Randy Doner, President of Teamsters Joint Council No. 52 and Val Neal, Small Package Division Director at Teamsters Canada.  Val Neal is, in fact, the “co-grandfather” of the OTI, and helped organize the first OTI golf tournament in 1989.  (Charles Thibault, a much respected and retired IBT International Vice-President was the other “co-grandfather”.)

The Honourable Peter Fonseca, Minister of Labour, and his Chief of Staff, Rob Walters were in attendance at the OTI Reception – Mr. Fonseca was the guest speaker and awarded both Val Neal and Randy Doner with an award acknowledging their fundraising efforts for Variety Village.  In the last four years, the Ontario Teamsters Invitational has donated close to $500,000.00 to Variety Village.

Since 1981, Variety has empowered young people to achieve their personal best at home, at school, at work, and on Olympic podiums. At Variety Village, children facing overwhelming adversity are encouraged to dream of great things and are given the tools to achieve their dreams. The inspiration given at Variety goes beyond wheelchair basketball and swimming lessons; Variety inspires children to reach for new heights and teaches them that strength of spirit is the key to their success.

The 2010 OTI golf tournament was extremely well attended this year, with 162 golfers teeing-off at a 9:00 a.m. shotgun at Carrying Place Golf & Country Club in Kettleby, Ontario.  The weather was glorious!  With a new “two putt” rule in place, the tournament played out in good time and everyone then sat down to a delicious dinner at the Manor by Peter & Paul’s.  Shayne Smith, a young athlete and Variety spokesperson extolled the virtues and benefits of Variety Village; speaking from the heart Shane had a captive audience as he related his life story as a victim of a bacterial infection from infancy, to which he lost three limbs.  Today, Shayne Smith is a wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey champion, and vows that he will make the 2012 Paralympic team with the help of Variety Village.   Shayne Smith is now also embarking on a speaking career – he said “I figure if I can shoot 80% from the floor with half a hand, surely you can get up and go to work with a smile on your face”.

All in all, it was another successful Ontario Teamsters Invitational golf tournament, where all the participants had fun while good was done for a worthwhile cause.  Special thanks go out to all the major sponsors, company sponsorships, golf participants, organizers and helpers for making the 2010 OTI such a great success!