John Raymond, prostate cancer survivor and member of the Power of Hope organizing committee, seen here waving, also launched his own fundraising campaign in support of the cause. Photo via UHKF.
Despite heavy rain and soggy conditions, the sixth annual Power of Hope Golf Tournament raised over $200,000 in support of prostate cancer care at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
In a media release issued on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation (UHKF) shared that 148 golfers came together at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, raising “an impressive $205,000 for prostate cancer care.”
This latest fundraising total reportedly brings the tournament’s six-year contribution to $945,000, helping support prostate cancer treatment and the A. Britton Smith Q. C. Robotic Surgery Program at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).
The Foundation said that, for many golfers, the event is about much more than a day on the course. It’s an opportunity to support a cause that has touched their own lives, and, for some, to give back while they are navigating their own cancer journey.
That includes organizer Ken Thompson, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March and recently underwent 25 radiation treatments. While awaiting follow-up testing, Thompson continues to play golf and help organize the tournament, UHKF detailed, noting that he’s helped organize the tournament for years, and now the fundraising efforts he has helped lead are benefiting him directly.
“You’re out there to help people, and now it’s coming around, and you’ve helped yourself,” Thompson said in the release.
Golfers enjoying the Power of Hope tournament. Photos via UHKF.
UHKF shared that Thompson had been involved with Power of Hope before his diagnosis, inspired by fellow organizer Mike Laframboise, a prostate cancer survivor who benefited from the da Vinci surgical robot at KHSC.
In 2019, Laframboise was one of the first patients to undergo robotic prostate cancer surgery, according to the release. He said the results were amazing, as he was walking the next day with minimal pain. Today, KHSC is recognized as Canada’s leader in robotic-assisted colorectal cancer surgery, and the program has steadily expanded to include colorectal, gynecologic, and thoracic surgery, UHKF stated.
For Laframboise, the Power of Hope tournament began as a way of saying thank you for the care that helped him through his own cancer journey, while helping ensure other patients could benefit from the same technology, according to the release.
“We don’t own anything on Earth. We’re just renting. And organizing this tournament is like paying the rent for me,” Laframboise said.
“I’m paying back for the fact that I’m still here, thanks to the da Vinci surgical robot.”
Power of Hope organizer Mike Laframboise. Photo via UHKF.
The Power of Hope’s fundraising has helped support robotic surgery at KHSC. The hospital now has two state-of-the-art da Vinci surgical robots, which can be used for a range of procedures, including prostate cancer treatment.
John Raymond, another prostate cancer survivor and member of the Power of Hope organizing committee, also launched his own fundraising campaign in support of the cause, UHKF said. He initially set a goal of $5,000 but quickly surpassed it, raising more than $8,000.
“That’s paramount, raising funds for a cause that I feel deeply about,” Raymond said.
“And Power of Hope is also a fun day I get to spend with my son and friends.”
UHKF said that, even with the rain, the Power of Hope remained what it has always been: a day of friendship, golf and, most importantly, hope for people affected by prostate cancer.
Learn more about UHKF on the organization’s website.