It’s a charity event that is as Canadian as it gets: two hockey teams with the help of some former NHL players, battling it out for bragging rights and to raise funds for the Central Okanagan Food Bank.
“We’re not doing this for notoriety or credit; what we are doing it for is the community,” said former NHLer Brent Gilchrist.
“For me to put my skates on for what will be the third time in I think two years,… I hope I don’t make a fool out of myself, but it’ll be a lot of fun and we have got some younger ex-NHL players that are going to impress people a lot.”
In fact, 11 ex-NHLers laced up with Gilchrist, formerly with teams including the Montreal Canadiens, the Detroit Red Wings and the Edmonton Oilers to help draw in a crowd of charitable hockey fans to Prospera Place.
They’re hoping to raise some cash for the food bank while indulging in a friendly competition against a team from BNA Brewing Co.
“It’s all about getting the money and getting it to the food bank and doing what we need to do right before Christmas,” said Jeff Stibbard, JDS Energy & Mining.
Their fundraising goal was just as steep as the competition at the JDS hockey charity game.
“$100,000 would be an incredible amount to raise at an event like this, and because we have such great relationships with grocers and our buying power is so amazing, we at times can triple each dollar, so turning $100,000 into $300,000, we could do so much with that money,” said Tamie Williams from the Central Okanagan Food Bank.
At the end of the day, the event put smiles on kids’ faces as they watched their hockey heroes show off their fancy stick play and helped put food on the table for families in need.
Comments