This summer’s golf season has been generous to the East Kootenay Foundation for Health, according to Executive Director Donna Grainger.

Three tournaments this summer raised close to $40,000 for the foundation and there is the promise of more money being raised at golf tournaments in the future, says Grainger.

“In a tough economic year like this, it’s simply amazing that we’re still able to have the generous support that we’ve been getting . . . We’re extremely grateful.”

The first fund-raising golf tournament kicked off July 6 at the Windermere Valley course with the Lake Windermere and District Lions Club raising $12,500 for the foundation. The money will be used to purchase six or seven “crash carts” or trauma carts that will be used to provide more efficient delivery of trauma equipment and instruments at local trauma centres, said Grainger.

The next tournament was held Aug. 7 at the Way-Lyn Ranch Golf Course in Wycliffe, which raised $4,000 for the Oncology Unit at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook.

The third “Celebrate Health Care Tournament” was sponsored by Kootenay Savings and played at the Copper Point Golf Club in Invermere and raised an impressive $22,500 to purchase Emergency Room equipment where needed.

Kootenay Savings has also signed to sponsor three more tournaments, which should result in more than $90,000 being raised in the six tournaments they will have sponsored, Grainger said.

Another tournament sponsored by BC Hydro Aug. 14 was held in memory of the two linemen killed when a helicopter crashed in Cranbrook May 14, 2008. Grainger said she hasn’t heard yet how much money was raised in that tournament.