The local Good Ol’ Boys (GOB) social club in Blaine hosted a fundraiser golf tournament at Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club featuring weekly wagers, individual contributions and auctions, raising $50,090 for Blaine Food Bank.
Thomas Yang has been organizing GOB fundraisers since 2020, and has helped raise over $120,000 for the food bank through donations and wagers. The fundraising record for the group before this past summer was $23,140 raised in 2023 – the donations this year have more than doubled that record.
“This year, more people stepped up,” Yang said of the explosion in funding. “The food bank’s needs have grown.”
The GOB group is comprised of roughly 35 active members who play golf multipole times a week, wagering small amounts on each hole with proceeds going to charities. The food bank, being run fully by volunteers, was an easy choice for Yang and the group.
The Blaine Food Bank provides free groceries, hygiene and baby products for roughly 3,000 families a month, according to director Sally Church. The all-volunteer organization has been feeding the community for decades, but recent pandemic-era government support has dried up, meaning more families are looking for food, less grants are being given to the food bank, and individual donations become more crucial.
“The amazing donation of $50,000 comes just when we need it most,” Church wrote in an email to The Northern Light.
For more information on how to donate to the Blaine Food Bank, visit blainefoodbank.org.
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