A Huge Success

 Some kind words from our friends at Sunnybrook

The Final Tally - And Final Hand Off

On August 2nd, 2010, I decided to organize the 2010 MelanOpen - a charity golf tournament to help raise money for the nasty cancer that my Pops had been diagnosed with earlier in the year.


On August 12th, 2010, Maples Of Ballantrae confirmed that October 2nd would be d-day. 


In the next couple of weeks, I roped in the following individuals to help make it all come together:

• Mike to help keep me sane and make sure all t's were crossed.
• Simon to help design the logo and help facilitate the production of our wonderful buttons, hats, banners and all things creative. 
• Jen Short to do photography. Kim Cranfield to be her driver and 2nd in command.
• Joann Vitug, Tyler Walker, Juliana Aristizabal, Shannon Curley, Anne-Marie O'Neill, Keera Jeschkeit and Melissa Grant to be the trusty volunteers and raffle ticket salespeople extraordinaire. 

In exactly 2 months, we raised a whopping $13,318 for The Sunnybrook Foundation, all money being donated towards Melanoma research specifically. We handed over the money to my Dad's Oncologist, Dr Teresa Petrella (as you can see, he's been in VERY good hands) - the final piece to the 2010 MelanOpen puzzle.  

David Simpson, Dr Teresa Petrella & Susan Simpson (newly brunette)

Thank you to all. Here's to 2011! 

The Pictures Have Arrived

Are you as excited as I am? 

Check out some snaps from the Big day and if anyone would like one printed, email me at: ssimpson@siriuscanada.ca 


All the credit goes to our wonderful Photographer, who not only donated her time, but her amazing skill at capturing what turned out to be my best day in 2010. Jen Short, we love you. 

Oh What A Day

Emotions ran high.

Temperatures ran low (veeeeeeeeeeeeeerry low).


But the day was a HUGE success (if I do say so myself) and we managed to persevere and have fun - in typical Simpson fashion. 


Thanks to all of you who played. Thanks to my lovely volunteers. Thanks to  Mike and Simon for keeping me sane. And for those  who want to rent Simon out for parties, bar mitzvah's and BINGO, his number is.... :)


This just in from our lovely photographer,  Jen Short, we'll have the photos up and live on the site before the weeks' end. 


From the MelanOpen team, a sincere thank you for your generosity and support. We're just finalizing numbers and will announce the final tally in the coming days. If you still want to donate, you can do so at the following link - MelanOpen Fundraising Page


Fondly,
Susan

Thank You To Our Sponsors

Hole In One

So if you're playing on Saturday, we have some pretty amazing prizes. If I do say so myself. 


The hottest item, by far, is a 2010 Chevy Camero. Red in colour, and man does this baby have some spunk to it. All you have to do is score a Hole-In-One on the 18th. It's185 yards for the Men, or 170 yards for the Women!

Aren't you glad you signed up?

Special thanks to Michael Carmichael at CITY BUICK for making it happen!

More Donations, More Thank Yous

Having already blown our original $6k target out of the water, each day we continue to get closer and closer to the new goal of $10,000.


Yes that's right, $10,000. If we can raise that much in 1.5 months, imagine what we could do with more time, more exposure, and more effort? 


Since I last updated, a plethora of people have donated. From the bottom of ma heart, a big Simpson thank you to you all. Again, without YOU, none of this is possible:

Jonny Newton, Dave Singer, Melia & Taras Klymenko, Anne-Marie O'Neill, Marcia Hilton, Kathy Johnson, Heather Crawley, Charley Anne Simpson, Matthew Bryant, Mike and Jenny Calsousa, Tim & Melissa Johnston, Brendan & Doreen Cunneen, Michael Riccio, Ransey Blacklock, Robyn Crookshank, Juliana Aristizabal, Justin & Amy Klein and Kim Bauer.

Simple Rules, For Simple People

As most of you are golfers, you know these, but never hurts for a quick reminder:

• Please repair all divots
• Please repair all ball marks
• Use cart paths when available and keep carts 30’ from all greens
• Keep the pace with the group in front of you

Men will be playing from the White Tees and Ladies from the Red Tees

Competition Holes:

• MENS CLOSEST TO THE PIN - #14
• LADIES CLOSEST TO THE PIN - #6
• MENS LONGEST DRIVE - #11
• LADIES LONGEST DRIVE - #16
• HOLE-IN-ONE COMPETITION - #18

You will be playing in a Texas Scramble format:

Each member of the group will tee off on every hole.  The team then decides which ball is in the best position and all members of the team will play their second shot from this position.  This process is repeated until the group holes out.

To ensure quick play, we are enforcing the 3-Over Par Rule.  Therefore, the maximum you can score on any hole is 3 over par. (i.e. – on a par 3, that’s 6 etc.)

As well…please keep up with the group in front of you and do not fall behind!!!!

PLEASE HAND YOUR SCORECARD INTO THE PROSHOP AFTER YOUR ROUND.

Enjoy your day!

The MelanOpen 4Somes

2 days until d-day. In true Simpson fashion, everything (should) be clearly marked, but if you like to be ahead of the game (like our Pal Davey) then here are the 4some lists, as well as what hole you'll be teeing off from.


Hole 1 
a) Margot Taylor, Santo Cugno, Nicole Tsuji, Megan Stigler
b) Philip Donnely, Chris Newcomb



Hole 2 
a) Geoff Pertsch, Andre Picher, Susan Pettit, Chris Pettit
b) Dan Stanley, Jake Jeffries, Steve Pigram, Matt Walton


Hole 3 
a) Dave Nicholson, Cindy Nicholson, Pinto Sohal 

b) Colin Emms, James Byun, Nina Dernowska, Paul Stanczak 

Hole 4 

a) Ken Grasby, Barbara Grasby, Jay Adams, Eva Adams 

b) Brendan Cunneen, Colin Shimmin, Emile Haick, Phil Kostandoff 

Hole 5 

a) Harold Kennedy, Jan Kennedy, Maurice Smith, Jane Smith 

b) Ken McKay, Karen McKay, Pat Singer, Sam Singer 

Hole 6 

a) George Fowlie, Barry Laver, Jim Woodside, Peter Rehdner 

b) Richard Simpson, Helen Simpson, Chris Simpson, Hayden Simpson 

Hole 7 

a) Susan Simpson, Michael Johnston, Simon Greer, Josh Glober 

b) David Simpson, Olive Simpson, Paul Curley, Debra O'Rourke

If you have any questions on the day, please call my mobile: 416.529.0504.
If you can't reach me, then Mike's is: 647.242.7195

Looking forward to it Folks!

The Weather Network

So tournament day is near. And so it seems that the unreliable and unpredictable fall weather has arrived. If there's one piece of information, one only, that you walk away from this blog with, then it's DRESS WARMLY on Saturday. You heard that here first. The forecast is for rain. And cloud. And only 10 degrees. You know, the usual 'Weather Network' 4 spot where it might rain, maybe even snow, it might even be sunny and warm. The Weather Network does a wonderful job at making sure they've got themselves covered for any situation.

So bring your woolies. Bring your tuks. Bring your a'game, and remember:

In Scotland, there is no such thing as bad weather - only the wrong clothes (Billy Connelly)


We might not be in Scotland, but there'll be a lot of wee scots running around on Saturday probably quoting this quote :)

Anything Is Possible

But none of what we are doing, would be possible without the generous support of YOU.

Special thanks to more sponsors, who have taken us well over the original $6,000 target, as of today, we have raised $7,545 for Melanoma Research at Sunnybrook.

Thank you to Tina Toffoli, Terry Maloney, Al & Kate MacNevin, Gordon Lownds , Joann Vitug, Amanda Simpson, Bryden & Paul Sisco, Ashley Resnick, Rod Manalo, Sinead Howard, Alexander Singh, Hali Ahlfeld, Amy Butler and Georgina Millar.

Once you choose hope, anything's possible. ~Christopher Reeve

Well, if anything is possible, then we can certainly get to $10k!

New Target, New Effort

Dad's birthday meant the arrival of my skin and blister, Ms Amanda Simpson. It's great to have her on Canadian soil, and she's started to get the MelanOpen ball rolling reaching out to her London massive. 

In her words, not mine (although we are very similar), below is a wee note, and a wee ode to her superb efforts in helping us reach our NEW $10,000 target:


I am not sure if I have told you, but ma wee sister has organised a golf tournament to help raise money for the hospital my dad is currently being treated at in Toronto. As you all know, they are doing an awesome job, particularly the fact that Dad's lesions have shrunk. I am particularly proud of Susan Rice for getting off her bahookie and doing this and wanted to share with you all. Being a true Simpson her competitive spirit meant reaching the $6K target for Melanoma research in no time. Now the goal posts have shifted to a whopping $10K. Clearly playing in the tournament is not feasible for all of us on the other side of the pond BUT if you are able to throw a wee bit of coinage towards the target, it would make all of our days and Sunnybrook hospital better equipped to tackle the big C.
 To donate, you can do so directly through Sunnybrook Hospital: MelanOpen Fundraising Page. C'MON you guys......Anything means something =)


If you like what you see, and you want to support our cause, please check out the above link and remember, no donation is too small. TOGETHER WE FIGHT!

New Tournament Details

Hi All,


It's been a busy few weeks getting details finalized for the Big Day. A few things have changed, so if you are following the blog, then you'll be the first to be notified.

1. We have confirmed a SHOTGUN start on the 2nd. 
2. The new tee off time is 1:30pm. 
3. Lunch will start anytime after 12:00pm.
4. The after golf celebration will be held at Maples, in the lower party room. There will be a small presentation, some thank yous, and of course the silent auction and raffle.

To get more information, go to our 'Details' section.


If you are still interested in playing, we have some spots open. Email me to secure your spot. Best way to reach me is ssimpson@siriuscanada.ca

Happy Birthday Pops

September 12th marked the infamous Davey Simpson's 73rd Birthday. The Birthday Boy, in true Simpson fashion, embraced the big 7-3 and celebrated with Family, Cake, Presents and of course his Simpson Girls. 


Here are a few  snaps from the big day, and a big Birthday Shout out to the old fart.

Like Mother, Like Daugther

Davey And His Girls

Someone Say Cake?

Cancer Schmancer

A LIVESTRONG Day Event | LIVESTRONG Day 2010 | LIVESTRONG.org

A LIVESTRONG Day Event | LIVESTRONG Day 2010 | LIVESTRONG.org

We are very pleased to announce that the 2010 MelanOpen is now a LIVESTRONG event. Together we unite, together we fight!

Who are you fighting for? 

More Donations

Well, September has started off with a MelanOpen BANG. It's official folks, we have reached our target of $6,000. Now can we make $10k...


Special shout outs to the following People - 


Kim Cranfield and Najah Dowdie. Two of my favourite people at SIRIUS. Thank you ladies, as always your support is outstanding. Also to Mike Mazgay who donated a whopping $100 - you legend!!


A special thanks to Andrew Kay and Richard Warburton (from Kay & Warburton) who have worked with my Dad for a long time and were generous enough to donate $250 to our cause. 


Peter Swain, from the MBS days, met the challenge from the entire MBS crew and donated $500 in honour of his old Pal  Davey. Thanks Peter! 


To Ryan and Sarah Gillespie, our lovely cousins. We thank you for the generous donation of $100. We will miss you guys on the big day!


And finally a big shout out to Thump Inc. who is responsible for the amazing new TV show Rookie Blue (season finale airs tonight on Global at 9pm EST. If you haven't checked it out, you should. It's awesome!) Thump Inc. topped up the donations by sponsoring $500 which  took us over the$6k target. 


Amazing. Thank you everyone for the continued support. We are blown away by how much the MelanOpen has touched so many people. 

Who Is The MelanOpen Team?

By now I'm hoping you've heard about this 'MelanOpen' thing. 
By now you may have checked out the website to find out just what we're all about. 
You may have even liked us on Facebook, or sent us a Tweet or two. 
But do you really know who's behind it all? 


Probably not.


Asking people to donate for a cause is tough. Especially when there are so many worthy and amazing causes out there that deserve more money than we will probably ever give them. So if we've asked you for money and not formally introduced ourselves, apologies in advance. We ask that you check us out. I promise we're normal folks, with normal jobs and (pretty) normal lives.  We just believe in raising money for causes that sometimes don't get the attention they deserve. And believe me, we certainly believe in this cause.

The MelanOpen Team

Susan 'Rice' Simpson

• Me in 5 words: Work Hard. Play Even Harder.
• Sign: Pisces.
• Best street meat ever: Richmond and Duncan. 
• Import or Domestic? Always imported.
• Best burger: Burger’s Priest, Leslieville.
• Favourite ice cream flavour: Mint Chocolate Chip.
• Bike or trike? Hmm, I’m going with Sidecar.
• Least Favourite Movie: Cold Mountain.
• Shoe Size: 9.
• Cats vs. Dogs: Cats. 
• Favourite Sports Team:  Toronto Maple Leafs.
• Favourite golf club: old school, 6 iron baby.
• Best Concert Attended: Beastie Boys. 
• Top Mix Drink: Vodka and Soda, lots of lime.
• I have a: fear of butterflies.
• Favorite Movie: Breakfast Club (show dick some respect).

What does being part of the MelanOpen team mean to you: It means the longest drive trophy is coming to me! Seriously though, being part of the MelanOpen means a lot to me because this time, it’s personal. I’ll never forget the day Dad called to say that the cancer had spread. Didn’t think it could get any worse until he said they’d given him 6 months. This team, the event, and what we stand for together will hopefully mean that in the future, my son or daughter doesn’t have to go through that same experience. It’s only with the support of our Friends and our Families that we will be successful. !*%! You Cancer. I'll see you guys on the tee!  

Michael 'Johns' Johnston

• Me in 5 words: Big...4 more huh? I am big. That's 3...
• Sign: Cancer...what's yours?
• Best street meat ever: I know what my worst was...Prague...could have been a dog/ratmeat mixture. Best...Berlin...a cold tall Heineken and a 2 foot long Bratworst on a mini bun (keeps u from burning your fingers).
• Import or Domestic? Import...like my wife.
• Best burger: People's, on Dupont St. (Banquet burger if you want to know exactly what to order).
• Favourite ice cream flavour: Chocolate
• Bike or trike? Bike...you can go faster.
• Least Favourite Movie: Cold Mountain.
• Shoe Size: 12.
• Cats vs. Dogs: in Streetmeat? Hmmmmmmm.
• Favourite Sports Team: Maple Leafs and Blue Jays.
• Favourite golf club: Bushwood...same club is in Caddyshack. 
• Best Concert Attended: Tough...tie goes to Pearl Jam (feat: Bonno) and Beastie Boys
• Top Mix Drink: Cuba Libre...in Cuba...mixed by a Cuban.
• I have a: motor cycle license.
• Favorite Movie: The Big Lebowski...tough one though. 

What does being part of the MelanOpen team mean to you: it's a culmination of so many thoughts and reasons...both selfishly and unselfishly. Selfishly in the sense that I get to spend the day golfing with close friends and family which unfortunately is a rarity these days...and unselfishly in the fact that we are helping to raise money for an under funded cause that someday can help protect all of my friends and family. I hope to see you on the course.

Simon 'Milt' Greer

Lead Guitarist, FSTP

• Me in 5 words: "I dig music"
• Sign: Stop
• Best street meat ever: Berlin with the Big Guy 2001 - it was epic
• Import or Domestic? Are we talking Vino Tinto, if so, Import
• Best burger: Hudson Drive Beer Burger circa 1996 w/cheese bun
• Favourite ice cream flavour:Chocolate (honorable mention to Tiger Tail)
• Bike or trike? Bike
• Least Favourite Movie: Big Night
• Shoe Size: 9.5
• Cats vs. Dogs: Dogs
• Favourite Sports Teams: BJ's, Buds (anyone not the Miami Heat)
• Favourite golf club: 6 Iron
• Best Concert Attended: Pearl Jam x 2 and DMB at the concert hall
• Top Mix Drink: Pisco Sours are pretty sweet (and sour)
• I have a: Niece and Nephew
• Favorite Movie: Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Almost Famous, The Big Lebowski - I could go on...

What does being part of the MelanOpen team mean to you: Since 2002 I have been involved with Camp Oochigeas as a volunteer both at the camp and in the city. Having spent time with children and adults who are battling cancer, I know that friendship, support and enthusiasm, of all kinds, goes a long way. Taking the time to participate and help support events like this takes very little time and effort but can make a huge difference to many, many people. The MelanOpen gives us a chance to hang out, have some fun and support a cause that really effects everyone, directly or indirectly, in their lifetime. Come out, have some fun and donate a bit of money. Everyone should donate yearly, to some type of cause, even if it is just a little bit, you can afford to.