Disc golfers played through the heat this weekend, in a fundraiser tournament to support Pride in Niagara.
The disc golf tournament raised more than $1,200 for PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and Positive Living Niagara.
Disc golf is a sport where frisbees are thrown from basket to basket. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, the town opened its first disc golf course in 2022 at the NOTL Community Centre, where Saturday’s tournament was held.
The Summer Stomp tournament was presented by Queer Disc Golf in Toronto and hosted by the St. Catharines Women’s Disc Golf Club. Andrea Michaud, tournament director, said the event was designed to keep Pride celebrations going past Pride Month.
“I think the Pride should continue,” said Michaud, recalling the community centre Pride crosswalk being damaged shortly after its installation.
The tournament included more than 50 players, ranging in age from small kids to seniors. Its difficulty level was beginner, making the environment relaxed instead of competitive.
“You can take it as seriously as you want,” Sean Galbraith, a player in the tournament, said. “A lot of (tournaments) are serious competitions and not great for first timers. It’s the opposite here … especially on this course.”
Teams played outside the NOTL Community Centre — Michaud and Galbraith said its course is good for beginners because of the flat land with limited obstructions, such as trees.
The team Galbraith played on also included Jay Vyas, Bob Lapham and Owen Kearse, each player sporting Pride-themed clothing.
“Everybody deserves a chance to live a happy life without strange, external pressures and prejudices against them,” Galbraith said.
For some players, like Vyas, the welcoming and beginner-friendly environment at Queer Disc Golf tournaments is part of the appeal of the sport.
“Any tournament put on for Queer Disc Golf, I show up for because they’re well-run and they’re super fun,” Vyas said.
The player learned about the sport in a newspaper article in 2021 and decided to try it out. Four years later, Vyas said he loves disc golf and its community.
The Pride attire Galbraith and Vyas’ team wore was not unique to that group, said Michaud. While not every disc golf tournament doubles as a fundraiser, the ones that do attract the most players.
“The players know that they’re raising money for PFLAG and for Positive Living, so they came today to wear rainbow,” Michaud said.
“There’s a lot of people here who have either gay or trans people in their family, so going to an event that supports that community is two things that they like,” she added.
For Sarah Burtch, women’s community development co-ordinator at Positive Living, the best part about the tournament is knowing Pride can take up space in NOTL.
“The exposure is great, but it’s even more important to be able to provide more queer spaces,” Burtch said.
Positive Living provides harm reduction, prevention and education for individuals affected by substance use — a cause familiar to the St. Catharines Disc Golf Club.
“Our club in St. Catharines is in such a high homeless area and Positive Living does harm reduction, needle cleanup,” Michaud said.
The organization also supports individuals who are HIV-positive, which Burtch says is still heavily stigmatized.
“It’s still very much thought of as the ‘gay disease’ … that’s why it’s important to support gatherings like this, because being together as a community can combat that,” Burtch said.
Kim Ansell, PLFAG Niagara chapter leader, said the hope for the tournament is to normalize the visibility of the queer community.
“(The tournament) recognizes and affirms the work that we’re doing,” Ansell said. “In a nutshell, I’m just here to let people know that it’s okay for them to love their queer kids.”
Another way the message of Pride visibility was spread was in the actual discs players tossed across the lawn.
The designs showcased the Queer Disc Golf brand, with colourful designs that shone when tossed in the sun.
Each of the nine checkpoints on the course had a Niagara-based sponsor, such as De La Terre Bakery. Michaud said there were more interested sponsors than holes available on the course.
“For anybody who doesn’t really like Pride, it’s on our front lawn,” Michaud said. “Lots of people came out and they were watching and cheering the players on … That’s all it is – visibility.”
“These events take up space and they claim space for people who may not be welcome in every event,” Galbraith said. “Disc golf is for everyone.”
