The 20th Annual Peter Gzowski Invitational (PGI) for Literacy BC raises $59,000!

Golfers enjoyed the sunshine at the PGI putting green.

Fred Lee charmed the crowd as our Celebrity Putter.

Literacy BC Board President Rebecca Beuschell (left) and Executive Director Judy Cavanagh enjoy the sunshine on the course.

Shawn Richards received the 2010 Learner Achievement Tribute Award at the PGI celebration dinner.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 20th Annual PGI for Literacy BC. Thanks to you, we raised $59,000. This brings the 20-year total raised by this event to over one million dollars! The funds raised at the PGI help provide literacy services to British Columbians.

This year's PGI was dedicated to Linda Mitchell, who passed away on June 25, 2010. Linda founded Literacy BC in 1990, and was a champion of literacy.

On the course at the PGI, journalist Fred Lee took on all challengers as the Celebrity Putter. The CBC's Rick Cluff and PGI committee member Robb Lucy co-hosted the event.

The Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, spoke to the crowd about the importance of literacy, the focus of his five-year term as Lieutenant Governor. "We must encourage and promote literacy at all ages," said Point. "All British Columbians deserve equal access to literacy materials. It's vital to our growth, development and prosperity as individuals, as a society and as a province."

2010 PGI Poet Laureate

The late CBC broadcaster Peter Gzowski founded the PGI tournaments as celebrations of life, literacy, golf and song, and the annual PGI poet laureate is an important part of that tradition. This year's Poet Laureate was Gillian Jerome. She wrote a poem over the course of the day, weaving together snippets of conversation heard on the green with fortune-cookie sayings.

Read Gillian's poem

2010 PGI Learner Achievement Tribute Award

Each year at the PGI, one adult learner receives the PGI Learner Achievement Tribute Award, which honours academic progress and personal growth. This year, the award goes to Shawn Richards of Nanaimo. Shawn received a monetary prize and a $250 library from Greystone Books, and a matching library for his school.

Shawn struggled with learning disabilities as a child, and dropped out of school in grade eight. As an adult, he struggled with addiction. Finally a street nurse helped him access treatment. As part of his recovery, Richards went to Literacy Central Vancouver Island to get help reading books about addiction. Richards says, “I was like a nervous child waiting to talk to a total stranger and ask for help reading books that I hoped would help save my life. I told the tutor coordinator at Literacy Central I was looking for help reading a book on recovering from alcoholism. She was so interested in me. I will never forget her for the kindness she showed me that day.” Richards worked extremely hard to learn. Today, he is attending classes at Vancouver Island University, and working part-time for Canadian Mental Health.

Read Shawn's story in his own words.

Thank You to Our Committee, Sponsors, Volunteers

The PGI would not have been possible without the generous support of sponsors: Marsh Mercer, Manulife Financial, G&F Financial, The Co-operators, RBC, Suzanne Bolton and Jeff Mooney, SunLife Financial, Chevron, Lift and Monk McQueens, Windsor Plywood, The Vancouver Sun and Province, Great-West Life, CBC Radio-Canada, and St. Joseph Media.  

The volunteer PGI committee dedicated countless hours to creating such a wonderful event. Thank you to our committee members: Peggie Terry (Chair), Judy Cavanagh, Rick Cluff, Judy Finch, Susan Gifford, Mike Harling, Robb Lucy, Joanne Sutton and Jessica Wohlgemuth.

The PGI depends on the genousity of our volunteers, who offer their time and talent make this event possible. Thank you so much to all of our PGI volunteers.