Wine, Women and Woods at the Vernon Golf & Country Club was born in 2003.

Cheryl Kaminsky, then a Vancouver realtor, had been involved in a golf tournament that was a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation called “Chicks with Sticks”.  When Cheryl and her husband moved to Vernon in 2002, she immediately set upon organizing Vernon’s answer to this successful Vancouver fundraiser – a golf tournament with a distinct Okanagan flavour…”Wine, Women and Woods – Tee Off for the Cure”.

The 1^st Annual Wine, Women and Woods Tournament was wildly successful for a first time event considering it followed a devastating fire season in the Okanagan Valley.  The Tournament raised over $11,000 for the BC/Yukon Region of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation that first year.  Pink themed golfers, generous corporate sponsors, dozens of hard working volunteers and a committee of 12 extremely dedicated women were thrilled.  Word spread!  In each successive year, the tournament has sold out quickly.

The Friday evening Wine and Cheese reception was jazzed up in 2009.   “Jazz It Up for Wine, Women and Woods” welcomes not only golfers registered in the tournament but everyone in the community to an evening of live jazz, wine and appies.  The silent and live auctions on Friday evening are extremely important as they are the major fundraising of the tournament.

Saturday morning the golfers start arriving, most in costumes, some going all out and even decorating the golf carts!  A putting contest, pictures, laughs and fun and then at 1:00pm, 36 foursomes head out for a shotgun start to an 18 hole Texas scramble.  The awards banquet with video of the day wraps up the tournament on Saturday evening.

So far, Wine, Women and Woods has raised a total of $495,000 toward “A Future Without Breast Cancer”.  Through the co-operation of the BC/Yukon Region of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and local stakeholders, all funds raised through Wine, Women and Woods 2011 will be used here in the North Okanagan on a program or equipment that is specific to breast cancer.  Our medical community is very excited about this… and so are we!