With daughters 11 and nine years old, Mike Weir is a conscientious parent as well as a capable golfer.

Weir said via conference call Tuesday that status among the world’s elite players — he’s currently No. 30 in the World Golf Rankings — has put him in a position to give back and one of those ways will be to continue the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids.

The 2010 Miracle Golf Drive event will be held in Winnipeg at St. Charles Country Club on June 7, the Monday after the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio and 10 days before the start of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

The eight-time PGA Tour winner and 2003 Masters champion began the initiative in 2007 with a goal of raising $10 million for children’s health-care causes across the country.

Already, after events in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia, the first $2 million has been put to work.

“I’m proud to be able to participate in making a difference in the lives of children in Manitoba next June,” Weir said.

The daylong tournament here will include golf at St. Charles with Weir playing a few holes with different teams, a pro-am for juniors, a clinic by Weir and a gala dinner open to the public.

Having arguably Canada’s most popular golfer ever backing a fund-raiser and on the grounds for the day does more than thrill Children’s Hospital Foundation board of directors chairman Andrew McPherson.

“In some ways it’s hard to put into words the recognition and profile that’s going to be generated by the presence of Mike Weir,” McPherson said Tuesday. “I’m going to say there are 30, 40, maybe 50 golf tournaments that support our foundation throughout the year and they raise anywhere from a couple hundred to 20, 30 thousand dollars.

“An event like this will probably raise 10 or 20 times that amount so the kick that it will give to the fundraising efforts will be amazing.”

McPherson said the target for much of the foundation’s fundraising is research to support and enhance the care given to the 130,000 kids who go through the Children’s Hospital each year.

“There are special needs and equipment that aren’t generally funded through the government,” he said. “And we have the job of attracting and retaining children’s health research. There’s a lot of cutting-edge research going on here.

“Bringing something like this here that could raise a fairly significant amount of money, it’ll be such a kick.

“I think 2010 is going to be an outstanding year for the foundation, not just from a financial perspective but also help raise awareness, which is what we’re trying to do,” said a smiling McPherson. “Keeping awareness up and keeping funds flowing to help kids in Manitoba is what we’re about.”

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/golf/weir-peg-bound-to-share-his-success-66818627.html

Glendale Golfs Transcona Manitoba
Furnasman One Hour Winnipeg
www.glendalegolfs.com

• Stem-cell treatment offers hope to Colorado boys Dominic King didn't have much to say. Worn out from horseback riding, the 10-year-old sat quietly on a recent summer afternoon, smiling, amused by his best friend, Harrison Spiers. Harrison, for his part, was hosting a one-man yak-fest, and his topic was one any 10-year-old boy, or former 10-year-old......
• Are British children really getting so little exercise? Yesterday the findings of a survey were published by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), that British children are not getting enough exercise and only 1 in 8 are getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. The study was carried out in July and August this year as part......
• Kids and Acoustic Instruments - Laying the Foundation There are a wide variety of different advantages that can be achieved through the teaching and learning of music. When it comes to laying the foundation between kids and acoustic instruments, you will find that there are numerous benefits to be discovered through music education, making it absolutely vital that......