Click here to watch a retrospective video
Click here to see photos from the 2025 tournament
The dining room was a-buzz on September 11th as guests and hospital & Foundation staff watched donor after donor put up their hands to make an extra gift, raising the tournament total higher and higher until it reached $1 million (net)!
This was no ordinary tournament… this was the 30th anniversary of the Mayors’ Charity Golf Classic. An event founded by Howard Sokolowski who wanted to give back to the community in which he was doing business. He had a vision to take fundraising for a small community hospital and create a ‘next-level’ event which has left the Ajax Pickering Hospital with a legacy of providing the best equipment for the best patient care, close to home. And three decades later, this tournament is still the most important signature event that the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation runs every year and with no exaggeration, has helped hundreds of thousands of people.
But Howard did not do it alone. Also present at the 2025 tournament were two people who were with him from Day One: Bill Collier – (now retired from RBC) who also went on to chair the event for 14 years after being passed the baton by Howard; and Lucy Stocco – from Tribute Communities, who is still involved in the tournament to this day!
Along with current mayors Shaun Collier (Town of Ajax) and Kevin Ashe (City of Pickering), it was also an honour to have retired mayors join us who had lent their name and support of their offices to the event, who helped expand its success:
- Jim Witty – Region of Durham
- Steve Parish – Town of Ajax
- Wayne Arthurs – City of Pickering
- Dave Ryan – City of Pickering
- and remembered Roger Anderson, who was Chair of the Region of Durham, and who is no sadly longer with us.
We are also very proud that we could celebrate eight sponsors who have been with us every year for thirty years:
- Cassidy & Co Architectural Technologists
- Malone Given Parsons Ltd.
- McEachnie Funeral Home
- RBC
- Sabourin Kimble & Associates Limited
- The Sorbara Group
- Tribute Communities, and
- Walker Head Lawyers
Special thanks to Howard for hosting the Founder’s Anniversary Tournament to celebrate our milestone, as well as to Harry Lebovic who kicked off the special donations with a $250,000 gift.
