Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
VINTON June 9, 2018
With the Stanley Cup winners decided, one team of Pontiac players organized to play the only sport that made sense in the off-season – golf.
Continuing fundraising for their team and its charitable efforts, the Pontiac Old Timers held their first golf tournament on June 9, at Mickey Creek Golf Club in Vinton.
While the fun in the sun finished in the late afternoon, most everyone knew the party was just getting started, as the musical stylings of Reg Carkner, Shane Presley and Marc Latreille took the stage. With entertainment like them, the crowd was soon in stitches laughing or shaking up a storm, as they danced the evening away.
Soon after a musical break, honours were presented in all but one category. Seeing as the group felt a little rusty in the off-season, no one qualified for the closest to the pin in the men’s or women’s category.
However, where accuracy may have fallen behind, there was no shortage of power, as Carkner and Francine Lanthier proved to have the longest drives that day.
Even though the tournament had been organized by the hockey crowd, it was actually a group of curlers who were the proud champions of the tournament. The Old Curlers, consisting of André Barré, René Cousineau, Dalton Cluff, and Fergus Wrinn, emerged the first winners of the Old Timers’ tournament.
But just as the last of the prizes had been handed out, there was one more honour to be shared – the gift of a team sweater to Carkner, featuring the name of Peg on the back with the number one.
The sweater was made in dedication to Shawville Councillor Margaret “Peggie” Sheppard, who passed away suddenly in March 2018. Sheppard was credited with being a huge organizational support to the Old Timers, as well as the group’s secretary and much more behind-the-scenes work.
“I’ve had it [at home], all this time,” said Latreille, of the sweater. “We thought this, being our next event, was the best time to do it.”
Taken by surprise by the gift, Carkner proudly slipped the sweater on, unafraid to show his emotions as he continued to play some of Sheppard’s favourite tunes after the gift.
