MINTO — On July 19, the Mary Lynne Forrest Memorial Golf Tournament held its 19th annual golf event at the Pike Lake Golf Centre.
The golf tournament serves as a fundraiser every year in memory of Mary Lynne Forrest, who passed away 20 years ago.
George Forrest, Mary Lynne’s husband, decided to start the annual event in her memory to raise funds for the hospitals in north Wellington: Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest and the Palmerston and District Hospital (PDH).
Community comes together
When Forrest first began his fundraising, he had no idea of the support he would receive from the community. He said Wellington County, like many other counties, had a sense of competition.
“You belong to one town or you belong to the other town. You’re in the rural community, whatever you’re closest to,” said Forrest.
He continued to explain that now, people in the community have had to travel to get medical attention. Forrest gave examples of chemotherapy in Mount Forest and dialysis in Palmerston.
“This has made people aware that, yeah, we’re all one community,” Forrest explained.
The first project he took on was construction of the chemotherapy room in Mount Forest.
“That was going to be estimated at around $75,000. So, I said, ‘Well, that might take us 10 years,’” Forrest explained.
As it turns out, Forrest ended up raising around $78,000 that year. After the first fundraiser, peers began asking him what he was going to support the following year.
The golf tournament then became an annual event.
Pike Lake – From left: Luke Albert, Paul Robinson, Steve Pinchin and Jason Albert participated in the 19th annual Mary Lynne Forrest Golf Tournament on July 19. Photos by Nicole Beswitherick
MRI campaign
This year, although still counting, the estimated $45,000-plus raised from the tournament will contribute to the purchase of an MRI machine for PDH. It is the kick start to the PDH MRI Campaign.
An MRI is a non-invasive type of scan that produces clear images of organs, tissues and structures inside the body.
Patients in northern Wellington County communities currently need to travel no less than an hour to receive MRI diagnostics. Rural hospitals in the area are also experiencing high MRI wait times.
“The first year that Mary Lynn was diagnosed with a brain tumor, we spent the better part of the year in London back and forth,” Forrest said, noting he had never really been to a hospital before for anything other than a sports injury.
He added he would see a lot of people he knew from Wellington County at the hospital as well. He said those friendly faces would be there for treatments that were not available in the north Wellington community.
Officials say having this new equipment at the Palmerston hospital will improve access, allow patients to stay within the region to get an MRI, and alleviate pressure on other hospitals that currently have the required machinery.
The amount needed for this MRI machine is estimated at around $8 million. So, although the golf tournament will not fully cover this cost, it marks the start to an important campaign for the county.
PDH development officer Dale Franklin said she has talked to Forrest at length about the MRI campaign.
She explained that not only will the funds that Forrest raised this year help with the campaign, but it will also raise awareness.
“Having an MRI in Palmerston is amazing for our entire area,” Franklin said. “All of our neighboring municipalities will benefit.”
Ready to golf – Participants in the Mary Lynne Forrest Golf Tournament were asked to find their carts in preparation for the 10am start time.
20th anniversary event in 2024
Next year will mark an important year for the Forrest family as it will celebrate the 20th annual Mary Lynne Memorial Golf Tournament.
This will be an important year for remembrance, and Franklin said Forrest will be splitting the funds for next year’s tournament between the two hospitals in north Wellington.
“It’s just phenomenal to me, the amount of money that has been raised by this tournament, and it started with love,” said Franklin.
“It was the love of a woman and mother and wife. And a desire for her family to honour her memory and her love of golf.”
