Suzuki, Asista Foundation deliver big at Heroes Golf Tournament

ÎLE BIZARD – The dog days of summer aren’t over yet––especially with Nick Suzuki around.

This Thursday at Golf Saint-Raphaël on Île Bizard, the Canadiens captain hosted the second annual Heroes Golf Tournament in support of the Asista Foundation, which raises awareness for mental health through service dogs.

Suzuki, who, in 2022, was named an ambassador of the Asista Foundation as part of their A Hero Within All of Us campaign, helped collect $120,500 at the 2024 edition of the charity event.

"Being part of Asista for the past years has shown me firsthand the impact we have in our community,” offered the 25-year-old. “Our golf tournament is an amazing way to bring people together, enjoy a great day of golf, and support a worthy cause. I'm honored to be involved and would like to thank everyone who came out to support."

They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but the Asista Foundation would beg to differ. The organization’s mission is to rescue pups from difficult situations, then train and maintain the therapeutic service dogs that help children and adults manage mental health conditions.

Since its creation, the foundation has diversified its impact by training service dogs for a variety of needs, including post-traumatic stress, autism, severe anxiety, and more. The dogs selected for the program come from shelters or rescues and receive specialized training according to the needs related to the person with whom they will be paired.

“The Heroes Golf Tournament represents a special opportunity for us to raise awareness and funds for our cause,” explained the Asista Foundations’ Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, John Agionicolaitis. “Nick’s passion and dedication as our ambassador makes this event even more special. We were thrilled to see the community rally behind us for a great day of golf.”

Don’t remind Cole Caufield, but Suzuki made it clear at Presidents Cup Media Day that he doesn’t need any four-legged support when it comes to his golf game. Still, the pups were on-site to entertain the some 130 golfers at Saint-Raphael on Thursday––some of whom could certainly use some pick-me-up energy after a long day on the links.

For more information about the Asista Foundation, to become a foster family, or to make a donation, click here.