Police host golf tournament for good causes

The Tauranga Police charity golf tournament raised $1000 for the Bay of Plenty Times Tauranga Foodbank Christmas appeal.

More than 100 players teed off at the recent 21th annual Tauranga Police charity golf tournament at Omanu Golf Course on November 28 with a record $6400 raised.

As well as the donation, $4000 was also given to Tauranga Moana Victim Support and $1400 was given to Decision Reach Out (Toro Mai) Trust.

The trust provides scholarships to college students from the Western Bay region to attend Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuit Centre at Tongariro National Park.

Detective Sergeant Peter Blackwell said it was an easy decision to give some of the funds to Tauranga Community Foodbank because it does "amazing work" in helping support needy local families, something the Bay of Plenty Times had regularly reminded people through the newspaper's annual Christmas Appeal.

Tauranga Moana Victim Support was another agency which deserved a funding boost because of the "awesome" advice and support it gave to victims of crime and their families, which he had seen time and time again during his 38-years in the police force, he said.

Mr Blackwell said the $1400 donation to Decision Reach Out would help pay for another two young college students to attend a leadership course, a course which changed lives.

The majority of the 130 golfers were police from the Bay of Plenty region and the Waikato.

Mr Blackwell said this year's event set a record for the amount of money raised, which mainly came from the golfers' tournament fee and raffling off 90 quality donated items thanks to "great support" from local businesses and also contributions from the community. That included a $1000 cash donation from one loyal supporter.

Mr Blackwell said a big thanks must go to all the tournament supporters, including Omanu Golf Club.

Western Bay police Constable Mark Clifford took out the trophy for the best round of the day, with a thee-under par 69 strokes round.