As Spencer Millerberg lined up his shot on the putting green of the ninth hole at Wasatch Mountain Golf Course, he said to his three brothers, “I can hear Dad in my head saying, ‘It has to be like a pendulum.’”

The legacy of the late Canyons Board of Education member, Mont Millerberg looms large, not only for his family, but for the Canyons District family — and it was in his memory participants in the Canyons Education Foundation’s annual fundraising golf tournament teed up on Thursday.

The tournament, which raises money for teacher grants to drive innovation in Canyons’ classrooms, will now be known as the Mont L. Millerberg Classic, which is fitting, said his wife and successor on the Board, Kris Millerberg. When Canyons District was created in 2009, Mont approached then Superintendent Dr. David Doty about establishing a foundation to raise funds for Canyons students and faculty, she said. “He loved all of the Canyons District, and all of the kids and was all about that. But from the start the foundation has had a real special place in his heart.”

Mont Millerberg was elected in 2008 to the inaugural Canyons Board of Education, charged with helping to oversee the creation of the first new school district to be created in Utah in nearly a century. A proud graduate of Hillcrest High School, he became a state leader in advancing student achievement and was instrumental in launching the Foundation.

In February, 2024, he died from complications from a stroke.

“It was a pretty emotional day, sharing this dedication to Mont’s legacy with his family,” says Canyons Superintendent Dr. Rick Robins. “This was really his brainchild, his baby. He was always so passionate, the first one here and the last to leave. He was a golfer but as Mont always said, ‘It’s for the kids.’ Over the years he’s really become an icon at the tournament, so when the Foundation decided to name it the Mont L. Millerberg Classic, I think it was so appropriate and I know he was there with us out on the green.”

Two of the Millerberg sons, Andy and Spencer, were able to participate in the golf tournament for the first time this year.

“He loved all the things this golf tournament stands for,” said Andy. “So having it named after him is a perfect way to honor his legacy and everything he gave to the students, teachers, and just the community overall.”

This year’s tournament and silent auction raised more than $95,000, every penny of which will benefit Canyons students. All proceeds directly impact Canyons classrooms through Innovation Grants. Teachers across the District apply to the Foundation in a competitive process for the grants, which are awarded for classroom innovations documented to enhance student learning.

“The golf tournament and the gala are our largest fundraisers,” says Denise Haycock, Development Officer for the Foundation. “I believe that Mont would have been humble, but proud and tickled to know we named the tournament after him. He was never one for wanting the recognition. But to be able to recognize someone who has had such an impact on the Foundation and the District as a whole is just wonderful. It was the perfect day that Mont would have loved, he could have worn his flip-flops and shorts and would have been so happy.”

To learn more about Innovation Grants and other resources available, visit the Canyons Education Foundation website.