John Gignac Charity Classic

At the young age of 38, John began to experience neurological symptoms which started in his left hand. Simultaneously, John and Katey had just found out that they were expecting their first child. In September of 2021, just days after his 40th birthday, John was given the terminal diagnosis of ALS. The physicians maintained that John’s symptoms were presenting as progressing slower than the typical patient, and they estimated that his prognosis was likely around 10-12 years instead of the typical 3-5 years. 

Over the next few years, John adapted to the many changes that the disease brought his way.  As the disease robbed him of the ability to care for himself, hold his baby girls, walk, eat, and talk, he remained positive and optimistic that he could endure the side effects to ultimately spend as much time as possible with his daughters. 

In October of 2023, after falling ill with two lung infections within a month, John made the difficult decision to remove life saving measures from his care plan and transfer to hospice care. He continued to battle the difficulty that comes with advanced ALS with grace and optimism. On January 18, 2024, John was surrounded by his parents, brother James, friend Devin and wife Katey, as he peacefully passed away at Foothills Country Hospice. 

This golf tournament is about the game that John loved so much and raising funds and awareness for the ALS Society of Canada. We do this in the spirit of John’s legacy – for a man who always dreamed, lived and loved BIG. 

There are several ways to contribute and support the John Gignac Charity Classic; a tournament that we hope will continue for years to come in memory of the man we love and miss so much.