Aaron Moser Spinal Cord Injury Foundation Golf Tournament

[Wise Young]

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Colu...5/1088747.html

CHARITABLE COLLABORATIONS

Among the good folks at the Aaron Moser Spinal Cord Injury Foundation golf tournament yesterday was former Oiler Craig Simpson.

When the proceeds from Aaron's tournament are divvied up, a portion will be passed on to one of Simpson's favourite charities - the Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre Society.

Moser's foundation supports spinal cord injury research. Simpson's society helps the disabled stay healthy and fit. So that, if and when researchers learn to reconnect damaged or severed spinal cords, the disabled will be able to walk again.

"I host the spinal cord injury treatment centre's Never Say Never Golf Classic," says Craig. "The story is similar to Aaron's. In a hockey accident in 1989, young player Brett Pearce became a paraplegic. (Former Oiler coach) Ted Green asked if I'd help the family with a fundraising effort."

As with Aaron, Brett's own needs were later taken care of by an insurance settlement. His fundraiser, like Aaron's, evolved from helping one individual to an annual effort to meet the needs of the larger paraplegic/quadriplegic community.

Craig, were your own back problems (a bad back forced his retirement) a factor in your choice of charities?

"Indirectly," he says. "My back may never be 100%. But I'm not in a wheelchair. It's made me more aware of those with far worse back injuries."

FORE SPINAL CORD INJURY RESEARCH

Enjoying the Aaron Moser tournament in picture-perfect weather yesterday at the Links in Spruce Grove was, of course, Aaron himself. Aaron put much time and effort into the tournament along with mom Darlene Moser, Otto Mobiles' Ric Young and the magnificent Hull family - Bruce Hull, his wife Katie and daughter Meredith.

Among the players were ever-smiling hockey skating guru Steve Serdachny, former Oiler Al Hamilton with his sidekick and MC Lyle Best, Randy Pearson, who Morgex Insurance pays to attend golf tournaments all summer and the Christmas Bureau's Bill McCallum.