The Shuswap Cardiac Society is hosting a new nine-hole charity golf tournament at the Salmon Arm Golf Club to help fund its lifesaving cardiac rehabilitation program. Rachel Madden, community engagement coordinator, said Tee Off For Heart Health will be an important fundraising event for the Shuswap Cardiac Society. “We just opened our doors to the public in November of 2024, so we're a very fresh non-profit currently trying to achieve charity status,” she said. “This is only our second fundraiser.” The group held the Red Gala at the beginning of March as its first fundraising event. “Right now, we're relying on fundraising to meet the demand in the Shuswap, as we've seen, the growing need since opening our doors,” Madden said. “We've served about 75 folks from Sicamous to Chase to Armstrong. ...The need continues to rise.” The Shuswap Cardiac Society offers a rehabilitation program for patients recovering from recent cardiac events, or diagnosed with cardiac disease or disorders. Before this program was started, the closest cardiac rehabilitation program was in Kelowna. “The reason why we're relying on fundraising so much is that we don't receive any provincial or government funding at this moment,” Madden said. “So patients pay their way, at the moment.” Program lead Jamie Auchterlonie has previously said the price is a pay-what-you-can system, and the eventual goal is to make it free for everyone. “We're trying to grab the attention of Interior Health and folks like that that can bring some funding in for this kind of program,” Madden added. Shuswap Cardiac Society has a goal to raise $50,000 in order to continue funding its programming. The event will feature a nine-hole fun and friendly tournament followed by a dinner at the Salmon Arm Golf Club’s Ironwood Restaurant. Madden said the dinner will be focused around “fresh foods and heart health.” “We'll have prizes for the best team, the most honest team, and there might even be a little dress up component in there as well to just kind of let loose and have some fun at a more casual event,” she added. To learn more about Tee Off For Heart Health or to register a team, visit the event page. To learn more about the Shuswap Cardiac Society, visit the non-profit's website.