Three years ago, the volunteers behind the Ottawa Corporate Cup were hustling hard just to get golfers to show up for their inaugural tournament.

This year, they hit every target by landing Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa as presenting sponsor, selling out the event with 124 golfers and raising a record $100,000 for more than 40 local charities.

Even Mayor Mark Sutcliffe dropped in to congratulate organizers and participants on their success, and to help present the championship trophy to Thomas Cavanagh Construction’s Brad Richardson and Tim Lemoyre. The pair won with a 10-under-par finish.

“We live in a kind, generous community, and we are very, very lucky to do so,” Sutcliffe told the golfers.

The cherry on top was the weather. Organizers couldn’t have asked for a better summer day.

Hard Rock Ottawa vice president of marketing Tammy McMullen, Ottawa Corporate Cup trophy winners Tim Lemoyre and Brad Richardson, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ottawa Corporate Cup co-founder and committee member Elliott Bourgeois at the 4th annual golf tournament held at Loch March Golf Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips

The Ottawa Corporate Cup was created in 2023 by Elliott Bourgeois, senior manager of First Avenue Investment Counsel; Kyle Smendziuk, CEO of WebMarketers and Phantom Productions; and Sam Fuller, president of Thomas Fuller Construction.

The organizing committee has since expanded to include Jeff Todd, vice president of marketing and communications at WEALTH (WCPD); Lindsey Suprunchuk, director of operations at Linebox Studio; and Zach Coakeley, principal at Cresa Ottawa.

“When we think back to the first year of founding it, it was a real struggle to get everybody to come out,” Smendziuk told CiTC as golfers settled onto the outdoor patio at Loch March for a hot roast beef buffet and DJ-spun music.

Afterward, there was a short awards and prize ceremony emceed by community leader Mark Taylor, a former executive at United Way East Ontario and a former city councillor and deputy mayor.

Longtime community leader Mark Taylor emceed the sold-out Ottawa Corporate Cup, held at Loch March Golf Club on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This year, Smendziuk felt everything had finally come together. “Everything was so smooth,” he said.

There was plenty of pride in how far they’d come, too. “It’s similar to starting a business,” said Smendziuk. Except organizers have been building the tournament while also juggling full-time jobs and everything else life throws at them.

Bourgeois, for example, spent the week leading up to the tournament packing and moving into a new home, with another big change on the horizon: a new baby arriving this winter. “It’s been a whirlwind,” he said with a smile.

For all the juggling behind the scenes, there was a sense this year that the tournament had reached a new level. “It just feels like we’ve arrived,” said Todd of the momentum and name recognition the Ottawa Corporate Cup has built. He was fittingly sporting one of the tournament’s caps. “There are many great golf tournaments in the city, but this one is unique because we are able to sprinkle so much to all the charities.”

From left, Edward Pham, president of RealIT Management, Filippo Caparelli, and WEALTH (WCPD)’s Kurt Alexander and Jeff Todd, who golfed in support of Help Our Students, a grassroots program that provides financial assistance to Ottawa students facing difficult circumstances so they can complete high school. Photo by Caroline Phillips

When the Ottawa Corporate Cup was created, organizers set out to build a tournament for serious golfers that would also do some serious good, supporting dozens of causes ranging from health care and food security to supportive housing and programs for kids facing financial or social barriers.

Every team — including those bringing up the rear — walks away with at least $1,000 for their cause, with the amount climbing the higher they place.

All funds are distributed to the respective charities through the Ottawa Community Foundation.

Thomas Cavanagh Construction earned $2,500 for the Thomas Cavanagh Foundation, created in 2019 to carry on company founder Tommy Cavanagh’s legacy of seeing a need and stepping in to help. Among its larger gifts have been $1-million donations to The Ottawa Hospital’s Campaign to Create Tomorrow and the new emergency department at Carleton Place & District Memorial Hospital.

The win was the second for Richardson and Lemoyre, who also claimed the trophy in 2024. Richardson is general manager of aggregates at Thomas Cavanagh Construction while Lemoyre works there as a land surveyor. The pair got involved with the tournament through one of its co-founders, Sam Fuller.

And while the men were happy to be playing for a good cause, let’s not pretend they weren’t also hoping for another first place. “There’s an energy and excitement that comes with hitting good shots,” acknowledged Richardson. “It gets our competitive juices going.”

It took some repeated coaxing from Bourgeois to get Capital Wealth Partners’ Duane Francis onto the course. By the end of the day, he was already talking about coming back next year.

“We’ll sharpen our game up and win. That’s the goal, right?” said Francis with his trademark grin. He was playing for The Ottawa Cancer Foundation.

Hard Rock Ottawa vice president of marketing Tammy McMullen praised the tournament for its ability to spread philanthropy around. “There are so many worthy charities, and sometimes you wonder, ‘How do you say yes to them all?’” she said. “This tournament is a way to say yes to so many of them.”

McMullen also handed out Hard Rock door prizes, including a holiday dinner for 10 to Cameron Robertson and a hotel package to Wade Griffin.

Cavanagh Construction’s Brad Richardson and Tim Lemoyre took home the Ottawa Corporate Cup for the second time since the golf tournament was started in 2023. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Hard Rock Ottawa vice president of marketing Tammy McMullen spoke of how proud her organization was to join the Ottawa Corporate Cup, held at Loch March Golf Club, as its presenting sponsor. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Ryan Fleming (left) of Fleming Property Management, seen with Elliott Bourgeois, earned another $1,000 for CHEO Foundation after winning the tournament’s skins competition at the Ottawa Corporate Cup. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Austin MacLeod and his golf buddy, Duane Francis of Capital Wealth Partners/Mandeville Private Client Inc, were golfing in support of The Ottawa Cancer Foundation at the Ottawa Corporate Cup, held at Loch March Golf Club on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Bourgeois created a prize in Mark Taylor’s name after the volunteer emcee declined compensation and asked that the money instead go to charity. Organizers drew from among the teams farther down the rankings, with Erin Dallaire and Jackie Quennell of Internal Office Solutions winning the chance to direct $1,000 to Christie Lake Kids.

Also up for grabs was the TCU Most Improved Prize, awarded to the team that made the biggest jump from 2025. Fleming Property Management shaved seven strokes off last year’s score to take the prize, earning another $1,000 for its charity, CHEO Foundation.

Fleming Property Management also landed a share of the $1,000 First Avenue Net Low Prize Pool, along with S&R Flooring, Duane Francis and WCPD.

Among those helping out was well-known childhood cancer advocate and philanthropist Tamy Bell, who recently started a new position as corporate development officer at CHEO Foundation. She spent the day volunteering at the tournament.

Bell came away knowing a little more about some of the causes the golfers were supporting, including one she’d never heard of before: Bytown Brigantine. The Ottawa youth charity builds confidence and leadership through tall-ship sailing adventures. It grew out of the Fuller family’s sailing legacy.

“I was, like, ‘That is the coolest thing I ever heard,’” said Bell.

From left, Tamy Bell, corporate development officer at CHEO Foundation, and Ana Popescu, database and digital fundraising coordinator at YSB (Youth Services Bureau) Foundation, volunteered at the Ottawa Corporate Cup golf and charitable fundraiser, held at Loch March Golf Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Hard Rock Ottawa vice president of marketing Tammy McMullen, volunteer emcee Mark Taylor and Ottawa Corporate Cup co-founder Elliott Bourgeois celebrate the tournament’s record $100,000 raised for more than 40 local charities. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Nik Dilawri golfed with his dad, Pawan Dilawri, of Dilawri Auto Group, in support of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation at this year’s Ottawa Corporate Cup, held at Loch March Golf Club. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Welch LLP business development manager Josh Raganold is an Ottawa Corporate Cup original, having played in all four tournaments. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Ottawa Corporate Cup co-founder Elliott Bourgeois with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ottawa Corporate Cup co-founder Sam Fuller. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Cameron Robertson of Robertson Rent-All won a $1,000 door prize from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, presented by its vice president of marketing, Tammy McMullen, at the Ottawa Corporate Cup. Photo by Caroline Phillips

From left, Patrick Corriveau, director of real estate markets at RBC; Linebox Studio architect and owner Andrew Reeves; his wife, Melissa Reeves, chief operating officer at Linebox; and Lindsay Hockey, senior vice president at Colliers, were out supporting the Ottawa Corporate Cup. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Wade Griffin from Indigenous real estate group Panorama Development Partners won a hotel package from Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Ottawa, presented by its vice president of marketing, Tammy McMullen, at the Ottawa Corporate Cup. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Jackie Quennell (left) and Erin Dallaire from Internal Office Solutions — seen with Ottawa Corporate Cup co-founder Elliott Bourgeois — were able to give an extra $1,000 to Christie Lake Kids after winning the Mark Taylor Prize. Photo by Caroline Phillips

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WEALTH (WCPD), Syntax Strategic, RBC, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law and Prime Benefits Group.

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