WEB PUBLICATION SUPPORTS LONDON & AREA ATHLETES, NOT-FOR-PROFITS
Photo (above): 2024 Junior Tyson Tour champions/by Jeffrey Reed, LondonOntarioSports.com
August 28, 2024 (London, ONT) – LondonOntarioSports.com, London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information, today announces it has surpassed $150,000 in charitable giving to not-for-profits and athletes in Southwestern Ontario.
LondonOntarioSports.com (est. 2015) also publishes its award-winning partner website, LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004) in its entirety, making the one-stop sports website London’s No. 1 source for sports news and information. During the past 21 years, publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed and his wife, Elizabeth, have supported London and area charities, as well as local athletes, through a variety of charitable donations including: charity golf tournaments; league and team sponsorships; fundraisers; public speaking engagements; and the annual London Ontario Sports awards banquet.
Jeffrey Reed with 2024 Courage Award winner Nick Heffernan
Reed is London’s senior member of the local sports media, with roots dating back to both print and broadcast sports journalism in 1980. The three-time author and winner of seven sports writing awards in Canada and the U.S. launched LondonOntarioGolf.com – and parent website, LondonOntarioSports.com – with two missions in mind: to provide an experienced, credible, non-agenda voice for alternative sports coverage in Southwestern Ontario; and to support the local community through philanthropy.
“It’s impossible to enjoy one’s own success without giving back,” said Reed. “Just as I believe it is my responsibility to publish online sports news and information with the intention of offering fare but hard-hitting sports journalism, I also believe it was important to share my good fortune with my own community.”
In addition to offering thousands of gifts in kind and cash donations to hundreds of local not-for-profits, Jeffrey and Elizabeth Reed established the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award in 2016. Jeffrey is a disabled athlete living with numerous skeletal deformities, but it didn’t stop him from pitching and coaching third base with the London Majors Baseball Club of the semi-professional Intercounty Baseball League, nor from being a golf ambassador with Wilson Golf as a Staff Advisory Member for 14 years.
Each year, the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award, presented by LondonOntarioSports.com, presents a Southwestern Ontario Athlete – amateur or professional – with $1,000, a commemorative plaque and an awards ceremony. Athletes like Jeffrey who have inspired others with their courage on and off the playing field must nominate themselves with a 750-word essay. Nominations for the 10th annual Jeffrey Reed Courage Award are now open – visit https://londonontariosports.com/community/jeffrey-reed-courage-award/2025-courage-award-nominations-now-open/ for information on nominations, which close on Nov. 30, 2024.
In addition, LondonOntarioSports.com and LondonOntarioGolf.com also recognize outstanding members of the local golf community with two award programs:
• The London Ontario Golf Heart Award (est. 2011) is presented annually to a member of the Southwestern Ontario golf community who has unselfishly given back to golf while growing the game. In 2014, Masters Tournament winner Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. won the award. This year, long-time Western Mustangs men’s golf coach Jim Waite captured the Heart Award.
• This year, the 13th annual Best of London Golf Awards allow the readers of LondonOntarioGolf.com and LondonOntarioSports.com to vote for their favourites amongst the Southwestern Ontario golf industry. The survey runs until Nov. 30, 2024. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BestLondonGolf25.
In addition, LondonOntarioGolf.com is currently conducting the 2024 London & Area Golf Survey. As a follow-up to the 2020 survey – the largest of its kind in local history – the 2024 survey will provide the local golf industry with valuable information on current playing and spending trends. The survey takes 10 minutes to complete – visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024LondonGolfSurvey.
“This year, LondonOntarioGolf.com and LondonOntarioSports.com have assisted a number of local groups with fundraising and awareness – those groups include the Junior Tyson Tour, Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area and SARI Therapeutic Riding,” said Reed. “We’ll add to our support of the Tyson Tour in 2025. In addition, Beth and I look forward to continuing our support of our community and our award-winning, credible journalism – incredibly necessary during this age of misinformation – for many years to come.”
Elizabeth Reed (second, right) presents Pine Knot G&CC with Best of London Golf Awards plaque
Testimonials:
“Thank you for an outstanding 37th Annual Sari Therapeutic Golf Tournament in 2024. A special shout out to our incredible MC, Jeffrey Reed. Thank you for making the special for all of us at SARI! It wouldn’t have been the same without you!” – SARI Executive Director Lisa Citton-Battel
“In recognition of your continued dedication to London and Area sports and support of the Southwestern Ontario golf community.” – City of London-presented 2024 milestone award, 45+ years of local sports coverage, presented to Jeffrey Reed in June 2024
“Thank you for your support and sponsorship of the Les Thomas Memorial Tournament tournament today, and of the Junior Tyson Tour in 2024. The tour appreciates and values your support as well as your generous media coverage and photography.” – Junior Tyson Tour, Canada’s oldest junior golf tour
“Thank you for putting our history into words Jeffrey! We couldn’t do it without you!” – Children’s Health Foundation
“Jeffrey, we wish to extend our heartfelt thanks for your kind donation which will assist us in granting wishes to our very special wish kids. Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. When a wish is granted, a child replaces fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope. A wish gives children renewed energy and strength, brings families closer together and unites communities. Thanks for helping us transform lives, one wish at a time!” – Make-A-Wish Southwestern Ontario
“One behalf of the Heart & Stroke Foundation, I would like to thank you, Jeffrey, for your hard work and time committed to the London Ontario Golf Heart Award, and your efforts in raising awareness for Heart & Stroke. Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time, and is the No. 1 killer of women. Thank you again for your generous gift to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Together, we’re working to give Canadians more years of life – and more life in those years.” – Heart & Stroke Foundation
“Jeffrey, thank you for your continued great work in covering the London sports scene and in particular, your efforts in golf. It has been a challenging year in 2020 on so many fronts, but golf has been a bright light in a dark year and your work in our sport was welcomed.” – Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada
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For more information, and for high-res images, please contact:
Jeffrey Reed 519/643-6334 jeff@londonontariosports.com.
About LondonOntarioSports.com
Est. 2015, LondonOntarioSports.com is London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information. It now publishes in its entirety the award-winning golf website, LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004), The Voice of Golf in Southwestern Ontario. Publisher and Editor Jeffrey Reed has covered sports in Southwestern Ontario since 1980 as a print and broadcast journalist, photojournalist, and now new media journalist. For 20 years, he was a regular contributor to SCORE Golf Magazine, and he was the most published freelancer in The London Free Press for more than 30 years. Reed’s latest book, The Canadian Seniors Golf Association, Celebrating 100 Years of Seniors Golf 1918-2018, is housed in the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. He has been nominated to the London Sports Hall of Fame.
