This year's Copperbelt Golf Classic has surpassed its fundraising goal.

The tournament was founded by Scott Kent and Amanda Leslie in 2018 and has contributed over $100,000 to directly support local health, literacy and educational initiatives.

Proceeds from the tournament will be split between the LDAY Centre for Learning and the Yukon T1D Support Network, which supports Yukon citizens with Type 1 Diabetes.

LDAY is dedicated to increasing awareness of learning differences and supporting children, youth and adults with learning difficulties or disabilities.

$40,000 was raised this year, easily surpassing the tournament's fundraising goal of $30,000.

The event, which teed off last Friday, featured former Saskatchewan Roughrider Mike McCullough.

The Star reached McCullough, along with Kent, last Thursday.

McCullough's said this isn't his first time in the Yukon.

"Scott brought me in nine years ago, the year after we won the Grey Cup, in 2013."

McCullough spent three days in the Yukon carrying around the Grey Cup.

He was up for a Special Olympics event.

"It was a great event," recalled McCullough. "It was awesome."

McCullough explained what he's doing here this year.

"We're doing a golf charity event, raise some money for some good charities here in the city. Scott just wanted me to come up here and once again throw some football stories around."

McCullough and Kent have maintained communication over the years.

"Scott does a lot of community service around here, a lot of charitable endeavours," related McCullough.

"I helped send a couple of my other teammates up here for other charitable events. So Scott just kind of went back to the well and I was available."

When asked if he's an avid golfer, McCullough replied, "No, I am not … this is not gonna be a good show for people I'm with, but we'll have some fun, for sure."

When it was mentioned that having fun is the point, McCullough quipped that the point is "to make someone who used to be an athlete look completely unathletic."

The tournament format is Texas Scramble, or best-ball format, meaning four members of a team compare results and select the best shot. McCullough thinks that will be to his advantage.

"Put it this way, the bar has not been raised very high … I'm hoping there's a nice prize for the last place team."

McCullough does a lot of charity work back home in Regina.

"We do a lot with Children's Hospital there."

McCullough spends much of his time promoting Jesse's Journey, a foundation that funds research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). According to Wkipedia, his son Cole, who suffered from DMD and epilepsy, died in February 2009 after suffering a seizure in his sleep.

"Charity's been a big part of our lives for the last 20-plus years so we're willing to help with any charity anywhere … that's the big reason why we're here. Try to get as much money for these programs as possible," explained McCullough. Regarding the tourney, McCullough said, "Its going to be a good time. Scotty said it's all filled up. It's great to see the super support in the community and we're excited."

When asked about his CFL career, McCullough joked, "That's what I was waiting for."

He spent 11 years as a player in the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization as a linebacker.

Highlights of his career include winning Grey Cups in 2007 and 2013.

"That'll be the big ones, yeah," said McCullough. "We had a couple of vicious losses, too, which kind of stick in your bonnet forever but the wins definitely help mask some of those losses, the pains of some losses. But the biggest memories are the two big cup wins, and probably just walking onto the field for the first time as a rookie was pretty exciting for me."

When asked about the losses, McCullough joked, "There was too many to count. 2003, we had a home Grey Cup opportunity. As a rookie, I got a penalty late in the game which cost us the chance to host (the Grey Cup), so that was really tough on me.

"In '04, we had a missed extra point, a 17-yarder which cost us another chance to go to a Grey Cup.

"In '09, we had our infamous 13th man. We had led the whole game. With zeros on the clock, we were still leading with the game over, but we had a too many men (penalty), so they had another chance and kicked it through to win the game."

Montreal kicker Damon Duvall missed the initial 43-yard attempt, but put the gift 33-yard do-over though the uprights. The Montreal Alouettes won the game 28-27. Ironically enough, to add insult to injury, the Roughrider fans are known as the 13th Man.

"I was playing during probably the most successful 10-year period in 'Rider history," recalled McCullough. "There's been a lot of tough losses over the history of the Riders, so I was very lucky to have played in four Grey Cups and win two of them. It's pretty rare, especially with the history of the Riders, so very lucky indeed."

McCullough won the Jake Gaudaur Veteran's Trophy for being judged as the CFL Player who "best demonstrates the attributes of Canada's veterans in times of war, peace and military conflict" in 2010.

"That was the first year of it and I was able to win that one. That was kind of nice."

He was also honoured with a Rider Plaza of Honour induction last year.

"That was a big deal for me and probably very close to winning the Grey Cups, because … I wasn't a superstar … but that weekend, that was pretty nice. I got a standing ovation, which I wasn't used to. So it was a big deal for me."

McCullough mentioned receiver Weston Dressler as one of his favourite teammates.

"He was probably five foot-six, 140 pounds soaking wet, but pound for pound, probably the best football player I've ever been around."

Receiver Rob Bagg and defensive lineman Scott Shultz also came to mind for McCullough.

"There's a lot of characters too, just so many guys and so many good friends. It was an awesome career and I got to meet a lot of great guys."

Kent added, "As a longtime Riders fan, I remember all those moments that Mike was talking about. All the bad ones and all the good ones too."

More seriously, Kent said, "We're excited about the opportunities to raise money for the LDAY for the work that they do on the tutoring side and for all the folks that are living with type one diabetes and all the supports that they need. So it's an exciting time for us.

"This is the fourth time we've done it. As a big Rider fan, three of the four guests have been Saskatchewan Roughriders and Mike got it all started for me, but when I asked him to come originally to the first one, he actually put me in touch with Chris Getzlaf because he wasn't able to make it. So Chris, then John Chick and then … we had to break for that pandemic for a couple of years. But last year, we had Robyn Regehr come up and he was great as well.

"It's a great day and we get to catch up with a bunch of friends, have some laughs and of course, part of this for us too, is remembering Travis Adams, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident a number of years ago. He was the original founding sponsor of this thing and a great community guy.

It gives us a chance to live like Trav a little bit when we're out there on the golf course and have some fond memories of him, so we get to do that and we get to raise some money for some great causes."