An idea for a women’s golf tournament to help fight cancer turned into one of the most successful fundraisers for the Cancer Centre – the Rose of Hope Tournament.

When Audrey Shillington, Nancy Spada, and Anne Spada took on the task of
reformatting an existing, nondescript golf tournament into a fundraiser for cancer research in 1999, they never imagined how successful it would eventually be. Their compassion for people suffering from cancer helped convince the women of the Cataraqui Golf & Country Club and the community to embrace what would later become known as the Rose of Hope Tournament. The event grew from $5,500 in its inaugural year to $164,000 in 2008. Thanks to the dedicated volunteer chairs and committee members, more than two hundred sponsors and the support of Club members, both women and men, the Tournament raised more than $700,000 over ten years. More than 97 per cent of the money raised each year goes to fight cancer. In 2006, the community recognized the contribution of the Rose of Hope when the City of Kingston proclaimed the last Tuesday of July, while the tournament is held, as Rose of Hope Day.