Three organizations are hosting an event to support refugee families entering the Leeds-Grenville region.
The fundraising golf tournament is being organized by the Rideau Bridge to Canada, Brockville Freedom Connection and Open Arms Brockville.
The groups have worked to help refugee families from countries like Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia get settled in Canada.
The tournament is happening on September 9th. Tickets to take part cost $140, and the money raised at the event is being split between the three organizations.
Graeme Bonham-Carter, a member of Rideau Bridge to Canada, says his organization’s split of the proceeds will go towards supporting a family of five that recently arrived in Merrickville.
“Khatera (one of the refugees) worked as a human rights specialist and journalist in Afghanistan prior to the resurgence of the Taliban,” Bonham-Carter says. “Her job was to broadcast news and information that would help empower women.”
“Because of her work in human rights and her connections to Canada and to the international community, she was immediately under threat with the resurgence of the Taliban,” he continues. “She managed to flee with her family to Greece, and they have now arrived in Canada with our sponsorship.”
Meanwhile, Brockville Freedom Connection plans to use its proceeds to reunite a Somali refugee with her husband and daughter and bring a new Ugandan family to Canada, while Open Arms Brockville intends to sponsor refugees originally from Syria and Egypt.
If you want to take part in the tournament, you can register on the Rideau Bridge to Canada’s website.