- the event offered a chance to have some fun
under the sun, while following COVID rules -
by Sylene Argent
Legion Week in Essex wrapped up with the annual, and much-anticipated, Kinger’s Krazy Golf Tournament, which took place on Sunday afternoon at Royal 47 Golf Club.
Marc “Kinger” Adams, an employee of the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201), arranges the event every year as a way to wrap up Legion Week in a fun and exciting way. The annual tournament typically always attracts a sold-out crowd, and offers a variety of challenges throughout the 18-holes of golf offered, to make the participants laugh while trying to complete each unique task.
Along the course, participants were asked to tee-off wearing an eye patch, putt using a paddle with the impression of a pretend shark bite taken out of it, putt with a sledgehammer, and tee-off with a tennis racquet.
“It was good,” Adams said of the event, noting everyone who was lucky enough to participate had a lot of fun.
Though the annual spectacle usually attracts around 100 golfers, due to COVID-19 this year, only 48 individuals were able to participate. In addition to reducing the number of golfers to comply with COVID regulations, the event was also moved to take place on the Sunday of Legion Week this year as the Essex Legion hosted its annual Big Daddy Meat Draw on the Saturday at the hall, which garnered a lot of community support.
Legion Week kick-off the Sunday prior to the annual golf tournament with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Essex Centre Cenotaph, and continued on throughout the week with a trivia night, that offered an evening of pondering for twelve teams of four, and a perch fish fry that sold a couple hundred dinners.
Typically, Legion Week also offers a card night and dart tourney, but both these events did not take place, due to COVID-19.
Every year, the Essex Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch 201) joins branches from across the nation to celebrate Legion Week, which is designed as a multiple-day awareness campaign to demonstrate all the local organization does to not only support the community, but veterans’ needs as well.
In addition to engaging the community, it is hoped, through Legion Week, the local branch could attract a few new members.