The second annual Tim Horton’s Western Canada Pond Hockey Championship brought out thousands of hockey lovers alike to Chestermere from Dec. 27 until Dec. 29, in support of the Chestermere Food Bank.
Throughout the multiple-day tournament, hockey lovers were able to enjoy treats and coffee from Tim Horton’s, food trucks, and the Red Bull Tent in between playing two 30-minute games each day.
“Our goal is $3,000 to $5,000 raised for the food bank,” said Tim Horton’s Western Canada Pond Hockey Championship Event Chair Alex Halat.
“We had 102 teams register, but we cut it back to 85,” he added. “We didn’t want to grow too fast. We’ll do it year by year, next year hopefully we go to 125, but we’re going to take it one step at a time.”
A highlight for Halat was how smoothly the event went after Chestermere residents stepped up and volunteered their time to help ensure the tournament was successful.
“It went smooth, the people in the community were awesome,” Halat said.
“We’ve had about 15 people in the community come out and help us out, logistically, it’s been a breeze,” he said.
Adding, “We had kids walking around picking up garbage, a lot of the parents helped us keep things on schedule, it was really good.”
Last year, the Tim Horton’s Western Canada Pond Hockey Championship was hectic for volunteers. However, this year, many of the people who were involved in the tournament came back to volunteer.
Not only did Tim Horton’s Western Canada Pond Hockey Championship bring the community together, but it also boosted Chestermere’s economy while encouraging participants to eat and shop local.
“We know the economy is bad in Alberta, this was a great stimulus for local businesses in town, and to showcase our town,” Halat said.
“We’re trying to grow our town in terms of population. Hopefully, we see a little bit of growth in the community,” he said.
Last year, hockey lovers from Calgary, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, B.C., and Montana participated in the tournament.
This year, Halat was contacted from a team from Nova Scotia, that is interested in registering for next year’s tournament.
“We’re really starting to get a reach now right across Canada,” Halat said.
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