WINNIPEG – (Golf Manitoba) Golf Manitoba is proud to announce that the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation has donated $60,000 to Golf Manitoba to support junior golf programming and the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. Working cooperatively with the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation, Golf Manitoba will apply the donation to benefit grassroots and high-performance junior golf programs, the University of Manitoba Bison Golf female and male programs and the annual induction ceremony conducted by the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

In 2018, the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was established with a mandate to support junior golf in the province of Manitoba. The Foundation will eventually commit a total of $3 million dollars to an endowment that will aid in supporting the development of new generations of golfers through grassroots golf initiatives and high-performance programming.

“We are extremely excited about the impact the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation will have in supporting and growing the sport of golf in the province,” said Vince Mariani, President of Golf Manitoba. “As far as we know, this type of personal commitment to golf, and amateur sport for that matter, is unprecedented in Manitoba.”

“For 2019, the donation will have an immediate impact on our regional Golf in Schools program, a key grassroots program that delivers basic golf skills instruction through the school system,” said Jared Ladobruk, Executive Director of Golf Manitoba. “More funding means we can expand our capacity and visit more schools thereby introducing more young people to golf. The increased funding gives us the ability to train and certify early years educators who will then be able to deliver basic golf skills instruction as part of physical education programing. By training and certifying educators, we expand our Golf in Schools capacity and can now introduce more young girls and boys to the sport of golf with physical literacy in mind. Linking golf to physical literacy I believe is an opportunistic area for the future of the sport and hopefully this serves to grow the game even further.”

“Another key area of golf benefiting from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation is Golf Manitoba’s interprovincial junior golf teams,” added Ladobruk. “This new funding will offset the costs of travel and equipment for the girls and boys who have earned the right to represent Manitoba in national competitions conducted by Golf Canada. This generous funding will reduce the financial barriers that come with participation in national competitions and will mean that Golf Manitoba’s best young golfers will not be denied the opportunity to compete against the nation’s best due to financial constraints.”

The University of Manitoba Bison Golf Program will also benefit from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation. Funding will be allocated to support both the men’s and women’s programs. The Bison Golf Program is celebrating its 20th year in 2019 and the program is entirely self-funded through sponsorships and donations.

Golf Manitoba will now also fund external junior golf charitable programs through the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation. Existing junior golf programs will be able to apply for funding which will be evaluated by Golf Manitoba to determine eligibility with further announcements to follow.

Additionally, proceeds from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation donation will provide support to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame which recognizes and celebrates those who have made extraordinary contributions in the Manitoba golf community as well as nationally and internationally. A goal of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is to make known the achievements of its Honoured Members and Teams to serve as inspiration to future generations which is consistent with the goals of the Alex and Peggy Colonello Foundation to support junior golf. The 2019 induction ceremony is scheduled to take place in late September.

The donation from the Alex & Peggy Colonello Foundation was facilitated through the Golf Canada Foundation and its partnership with Golf Manitoba. Golf Canada Foundation is a Registered Canadian Athletic Amateur Association (RCAAA), and as such is recognized by the Canadian Revenue Agency as a qualified donee. Gifts received by Golf Canada Foundation qualify for an official donation receipt.

About Alex & Peggy Colonello: Peggy Colonello served as president of the Manitoba Ladies’ Golf Association in 1974 – 76 and was an active participant at her home course, the Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, where she and husband Alex had been members since the 1940s.

Peggy also served a two-year term as president of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association from 1982-83. During her time on the national executive, Peggy attended World and Commonwealth championships in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Columbia, Britain and Switzerland, including the various Canadian events in which she participated. Peggy was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 and was an inaugural inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame on September 29, 2003.

Alex Colonello first moved to Winnipeg in 1941 where, in 1949, Bay Bronze Company asked him to start a machinery division for them. Alex eventually bought control of the company in 1973 becoming President until his retirement in 1996. In 1998, Alex purchased the golf accessory line from Bayco Industries to form Bayco Golf Inc. Alex Colonello passed away in 2013 at the age of 93.

About Golf Manitoba: Golf Manitoba is the governing body for golf in the province of Manitoba and North West Ontario. Its mission is to develop, promote, govern and service the sport of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario for the benefit of all participants.

Recognized by Sport Manitoba as the Provincial Sport Organization for golf in the province, Golf Manitoba is responsible for promoting participation in and a passion for the sport of golf in Manitoba and North West Ontario. Golf Manitoba is also involved in national golf events through its affiliation with Golf Canada.

About the Golf Canada Foundation:  The Golf Canada Foundation is the leading source for Golf Philanthropy in Canada, awarding more than $7.76 million in grants and scholarships since inception in 1979. Golf Canada Foundation’s mission is to inspire young players to build strong core values and character while living a healthy lifestyle. Golf Canada Foundation is a Registered Canadian Athletic Amateur Association (RCAAA), and as such is recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as a qualified donee. A qualified donee is an organization that can receive gifts and issue official donation receipts for those gifts.

For more information:
Jared Ladobruk
Executive Director
Golf Manitoba
204.925.5729
jared@golfmb.ca

The Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame recognizes and honours those who have made their mark on Manitoba’s rich golf history through their extraordinary activities and accomplishments.

Do you know of someone who should be recognized for their contributions and accomplishments to the game of golf as either a competitor (both amateur and/or professional), builder and/or superintendent? Nominations for induction for the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Class are now open.

Learn more and to nominate today >> http://bit.ly/MBGolfHallofFame

The world has lost a great friend, gentleman and a sports legend. On January 30, 2019, Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Mr. Bob Picken passed away. He was 86 years old.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Barbara as well to his family and friends.

Mr. Picken was a tremendous supporter of golf in the province of Manitoba, and, as a tribute to Mr. Picken, we thought it fitting to re-publish the biography from his induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame. The biography was written by his good friend, fellow sports journalist and fellow Honoured Member of the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, Ralph Bagley.

R. J. (Bob) Picken – Builder

For more than 60 years, Robert John Picken has kept Manitobans well informed on events in the world of sports through broadcasting and writing and he has been recognized for his achievements in many areas.

His induction into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame is a tribute to his detailed attention to golf events in the province. He is similarly honoured by his inductions in recent years to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, Winnipeg Football Club Media Hall of Fame, Canadian Football Media Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sportswriters and Sportscasters Roll of Honour.

Born in Winnipeg on September 24, 1932, Picken attended St. John’s High School and his journalistic career began in 1948 while in high school when he joined the staff of the Winnipeg Citizen to cover a variety of sports, including golf. The paper folded in 1949.

From 1965 to 1969, he was on the sports staff at CJOB and he later returned to that radio station on a free-lance basis from 1993 to 2008, covering mainly golf and curling. He was the voice of sport on CBC radio commencing in 1969 until his retirement in 1990.

During his career, Picken covered virtually every type of golf event, from provincial and national amateur championships through the Canadian Open, Canadian Senior Open, the duMaurier Classic, the America’s Cup, the World Amateur in Vancouver and two trips to the Masters at Augusta.

In addition to his extensive radio reporting, he also contributed articles in Backspin magazine from 1993 to 1998 and to the Golf Manitoba Journal since 1993.

He has been an active contributor to the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame, being involved as it was being formed and serving on the selection committee from 2003 to 2007. He was master of ceremonies for the first two induction ceremonies. He has also served as chair of the selection committee for the Manitoba Amateur Golfer of the Year award since its inception in 1975.

Picken has been a director of the Grey Owl golf tournament since 1979, serving as secretary for many years, a two-year term as president and currently is the drawmaster for the event, which marked its 50th year in June.

R. J. (Bob) Picken is an inductee into the Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc., September 27, 2010