Wayne Cahoon Memorial Golf Tournament packs the course

SEELEY LAKE – Friends, family and acquaintances of the Wayne Cahoon family gathered Sunday, July 24 for the first annual Wayne Cahoon Memorial Golf Tournament at Double Arrow Golf Course. All proceeds from the tournament went to support the Building 4 WC Limited non-profit and the Braulik family that lost their home in a fire this past week.

The Tournament was organized by Wayne's daughter Chelsea to "honor Wayne Cahoon by continuing his legacy of building youth and building people by raising funds to distribute around our schools and communities." This was the first tournament Chelsea has organized and it filled with 132 golfers.

"This was way more than I thought it would be, which is overwhelming and exciting," Chelsea said.

"She did an incredible job," said volunteer Kim Bezanson whose husband is the General Manger at Canyon River Golf Course in Missoula. "Wayne really left an impact on the golf world and the sports world as far as high school golf."

Local and Missoula businesses donated tee and hole prizes and raffle items. They also held a 50/50 drawing and sold custom t-shirts with the outline of Wayne golfing with the mountains in the background on the back. Participants could write memories of Wayne for the Cahoon family.

This was Megan Baxter and her dad Michael's first time playing together in a tournament. Hailing from Thompson Falls, Megan met Wayne as a freshman when he was coaching. They also know other members of the Cahoon family.

"I thought it was great," Michael said. "I was pleased to be able to play in an awesome spot. What a great memory, objective and mission for the tournament."

All the funds raised through buy-ins for the hole games, the raffles, mulligans and the t-shirt sales will be donated directly to the Braulik family. The rest of the funds will go to the Building 4 WC Limited non-profit and be distributed to support school and community activities.

Chelsea said it was a "super huge honor" for Seeley-Swan High School graduate and Gatorade Player of the Year Klaire Kovatch to choose the Building 4 WC Limited to donate her $1,000 as part of her award.

"It is really special for all of us to see all these people out here and to have all these people donate back and to have all these sponsors that donated," Chelsea said. "It means a lot to our family. We just want to make sure this accident isn't wasted and that we can do great things for other people in my dad's name."

Everyone is encouraged to watch for the tournament again next year on a Sunday around the same date.