Summer Street Scramble Raises More Than $360,000 and Celebrates Community in Action
New Glasgow, NS — September 25, 2026. The 32nd Annual Summer Street Scramble brought golfers, sponsors, donors, volunteers, participants, staff, and community partners together on Friday, September 18, raising more than $360,000 in support of Summer Street.
Held at Abercrombie Golf & Country Club, the Scramble is Summer Street’s only major annual fundraiser. This year’s success brings the tournament’s lifetime fundraising total to more than $5.85 million since it began in 1994.
While the fundraising total is remarkable, the Scramble’s impact reaches beyond dollars raised. The event brings community leaders, businesses, service organizations, donors, and supporters together around a shared commitment to inclusion, dignity, and meaningful opportunity for people with diverse abilities.
“Every dollar raised through the Scramble makes a difference,” said Bob Bennett, Executive Director of Summer Street. “But what makes this event so powerful is the number of people who continue to show up, stand with Summer Street, and help move our community toward a more inclusive future.”
For Summer Street, the presence of teams, sponsors, and community leaders is deeply meaningful. Not every team raises the same amount, but every team plays an important role. Their presence, advocacy, and visible support help create the conditions for people with diverse abilities to be recognized as valued contributors, leaders, neighbours, and changemakers.
This year’s Scramble welcomed 35 teams and brought together approximately 250 community members, including golfers, sponsors, volunteers, participants, staff, and community partners. Top fundraising results included CIBC Wood Gundy, which led this year’s team fundraising with $60,650, and Irene’s Boys, an absent team recognized for an incredible $61,000 contribution. Many other teams contributed at different levels, and every pledge, donation, shared fundraising page, and act of support helped move Summer Street’s mission forward.
The event also included Summer Street’s Community of Champions, a group of local organizations invited to take part on the course. These organizations bring activities, conversations, and energy to the day, while helping introduce golfers and supporters to other important work happening across Pictou County. Their presence reflects a core belief at Summer Street: meaningful change is built collectively, and strong communities are created when people and organizations work together.
This year’s top fundraising prizes carried special meaning. Participants in Summer Street’s Art Program created original pieces for donor prizes, giving Summer Street artists an opportunity to share their talents and be paid for their work. Additional participant-made artwork and products are available through the Summer Street Farm Store.
Summer Street extends sincere thanks to Presenting Sponsor Lawtons Drugs, along with key event sponsors Sobeys, Abercrombie Golf & Country Club, Forward Group, Twin Rivers Home Builders, CIBC Wood Gundy, MacDonald & Murphy, Nova Scotia Power, and GFL. The event was also supported by many major sponsors, hole sponsors, prize sponsors, in-kind sponsors, volunteers, donors, and community partners.
“At Summer Street, we are in the business of creating opportunities,” Bennett said. “The Scramble is a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together with purpose, respect, and a shared belief that everyone has something valuable to contribute.”
About Summer Street
Since 1968, Summer Street has been a vibrant part of the Pictou County community, supporting adults with diverse abilities to discover and develop their skills, interests, and potential. Based in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Summer Street is a registered charity offering participant-led programs, meaningful employment, social enterprise, and community partnerships.
Summer Street’s approach is participant-led and person-directed, working alongside participants to create opportunities for independence, connection, full participation in community life, and meaningful lives of their choosing. Summer Street believes every person has something valuable to contribute and works to create opportunities for people to work, lead, help others, and shape the community around them.
Media Contact:
Liz LaPier
Fund Development Officer
Summer Street Industries
liz@summerstreet.ca | 902-301-0817
Media Contact:
Liz LaPier
Fund Development Officer
Summer Street Industries
liz@summerstreet.ca | 902-301-0817
Read the Official Press Release from the Office of the Lieutenant-Governor here.
Read more about the 2026 recipients here.
New Glasgow, NS — January 9, 2026. Summer Street Industries marked a major milestone today with the official opening of Summer Street Farm, a participant-led, closed-environment farm designed to strengthen local food security while creating meaningful employment and learning opportunities for people with diverse abilities.
The Farm was created in direct response to participant priorities: to grow food they could eat, to grow food through paid work, and to grow food to share with people in the community experiencing food insecurity. Today, those goals are being realized through a social enterprise model that combines food production, employment, and community contribution.
Developed through years of participant and community engagement, planning, and collaboration, Summer Street Farm supports year-round food production in a fully accessible environment. Powered in part by an on-site solar array, the Farm reflects a long-term commitment to sustainability, inclusion, and community resilience.
Fresh greens grown at Summer Street Farm are already supporting local food-security efforts, including partnerships with the Pictou County Food Bank and school lunch programs. Public access to farm greens include on-site purchasing, a soon-to-open Farm Store, and participation in the New Glasgow Farmers Market. Purchasing options include a pay-what-you-can model and opportunities to gift food through Summer Street’s charitable programs.
The Farm represents more than food production. It serves as community infrastructure — supporting inclusive employment, skills development, collaboration with health and education partners, and opportunities for future farmers, entrepreneurs, and organizations to grow alongside one another.
The opening celebration included remarks from participants, community leaders, and government representatives. Attending dignitaries included His Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, Mike Savage, along with elected officials, project partners, and community supporters.
Summer Street Farm was made possible through support from the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Government of Nova Scotia through the Departments of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage and Agriculture, the Summer Street Foundation, and strong community support. The Farm’s Community Giving Program is led by inaugural sponsor Jamie MacGillivray, whose early leadership has helped ensure that generosity and access are built directly into how the Farm operates.
As the Farm continues to evolve, Summer Street looks forward to working alongside additional partners who share a commitment to inclusive, sustainable community food systems. Community members are invited to stay informed about new programs, partnerships, and opportunities by subscribing to Summer Street’s newsletter.
Quotes
“In a world where the easier choice is to step back, we are grateful for community that chooses to step forward. We are so privileged to be surrounded by people with diverse abilities who remind us daily that possibility grows when we choose to work together as a community. This farm is the result of that choice. Thank you to our government partners for being part of our community, for investing in possibility, and believing in what could grow here.”
- Christine Williams, President, Board of Directors, Summer Street Industries Society
“Congratulations to Summer Street Industries on the grand opening of the Summer Street Farm. Projects like this show what’s possible when we invest in people and their ideas, creating opportunities that are as inclusive as they are innovative. This accessible farm will create jobs, open doors for individuals of all abilities, and strengthen both our economy and community.
- The Honourable Sean Fraser, P.C., K.C., Member of Parliament for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
“Summer Street Farm shows what’s possible when inclusion, sustainability and community come together. This participant-led farm is strengthening local food security while creating meaningful opportunities for people of all abilities. It’s an investment in people — and in the long-term health and resilience of this community.”
- The Honourable Dave Ritcey, Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage
"Summer Street is demonstrating what’s possible across the country, to become more self-sufficient and grow more local food. We’re honoured to work with bold partners like all the partners on this project, who share our vision that local food infrastructure is a key ingredient for healthy communities."
- Corey Ellis, CEO and co-founder, Growcer
Summer Street Farm — At a Glance
• Participant-led vision, shaped by Participant Council priorities
• Year-round, closed-environment farm with fully accessible design
• Largest wheelchair-accessible closed-environment farm in Canada
• Powered in part by an on-site solar array, supporting sustainable food production
• Three modular growing bays, supporting: Community food production gifted to food banks, schools, and food-security programs
• A commercial social enterprise producing food for sale and community use
• Future educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for farmers and innovators
• Public access options include on-site purchasing, pay-what-you-can pricing, and food-gifting opportunities through Summer Street’s charitable programs
Media Contact:
Liz LaPier
Fund Development Officer
Summer Street Industries
liz@summerstreet.ca | 902-301-0817
Record-Breaking Summer Street Scramble Raises $575,610 for People with Diverse Abilities
Community generosity drives progress toward “the Remedy” and a more inclusive Nova Scotia
New Glasgow, NS — September 19, 2025. The 31st Annual Summer Street Golf Scramble brought together 36 teams at the Abercrombie Golf and Country Club, raising an incredible $575,610 — the highest total in the event’s history.
Hosted by Summer Street Industries, the Scramble is Pictou County’s longest-running charity golf tournament and its only major fundraiser. The funds raised provide meaningful employment, skill development, and community inclusion opportunities for more than 200 people with diverse abilities each year.
“Every year, the people of Pictou County remind us what community really means,” said Bob Bennett, Executive Director of Summer Street Industries. “The Summer Street Scramble isn’t just a golf tournament — it’s a testament to how much people care about creating opportunities for others. The generosity shown by our teams, sponsors, and donors allows us to keep moving forward in our work toward the Remedy — building a more inclusive province where people with diverse abilities can live, work, and contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.”
This year’s Scramble carried a farm theme, celebrating the upcoming opening of the Summer Street Farm — a new closed-environment agriculture social enterprise. The project reflects the desires of participants to support the food security of the community and demonstrates Summer Street’s belief that inclusion thrives when communities support one another. The Farm is both practical and deeply symbolic: guided by participant leadership, it shows that even those often considered most vulnerable are eager to help others. It’s a project built on shared purpose, designed to strengthen local food systems while providing meaningful training and employment opportunities.
This year also marked the introduction of updated fundraising categories to recognize the tournament’s extraordinary growth:
“When this tournament started over 30 years ago, we never imagined how far it would grow — or how much impact it would have for the people we support at Summer Street,” added Bennett. “Because of the generosity of our community, the bar keeps getting higher. Our teams are now consistently raising more than we ever dreamed possible — and that means more jobs, more programs, and more opportunities for the people who rely on us every day. This year, we even updated our recognition levels to reflect just how remarkable our supporters’ efforts have become.”
The City Club team led the way with an impressive $105,100 raised, followed by several “Green Jacket” and “Masters” teams who together set a new benchmark for community support.
The event included a moving tribute to two cherished members of the Summer Street community who passed away this year — David Wallace and Irene Aucoin — whose dedication and vision helped build the Scramble into what it is today. “We remember and celebrate those whose dedication and vision helped build this tournament into what it is today,” read a statement shared at the event. “These Champions laid the foundation for the success of this tournament and returned year over year as committee members, volunteers, and golfers. Their passion and commitment will always be a part of this event and the success of Summer Street and our Community of Champions.”
Lawtons Drugs returned as presenting sponsor, joined by Sobeys, Abercrombie Country Club, Forward Creative, Twin Rivers Home Builders, CIBC Wood Gundy, MacDonald & Murphy, CF Construction, and EM Real Estate, among many others.
Funds raised through the Scramble will help Summer Street continue its work toward the Remedy — Nova Scotia’s transformation of the Disability Support Program — ensuring individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have greater independence, inclusion, and opportunity.
About Summer Street Industries
Summer Street Industries is a charity in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, dedicated to helping people with diverse abilities realize their potential through meaningful employment, skills development, and community participation. Learn more at www.summerstreet.ca.
Media Contact:
Liz LaPier
Event Coordinator
Summer Street Scramble
liz@summerstreet.ca | 902-301-0817