April 7, 2016 · 0 Comments
“It shows you what this community is all about,” Said Mike DeLaat, chair of the organizing committee for the Jennifer Widbur Memorial Hockey Tournament.
The ninth annual tournament held at the North Dufferin Community Centre, otherwise known as the Honeywood arena, got underway on Friday, April 1, and continued all day Saturday as teams met on the ice to compete.
Over the past nine years the tournament has raised over $300,000 with the majority of funds raised going to the Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville.
“The money goes to cancer care at Headwaters Health Care Centre, to the greatest need,” DeLaat explained. “We helped finance the digital mammography imaging system in the past and now the push is on to build the new cancer care wing at the hospital. We’ve been part of the new Commitment to Care campaign. They just reached the $16 million goal so shovels are going in the ground soon.”
The tournament has also provided funds to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Honeywood Minor Hockey.
This is an astounding achievement by a tournament that is held is a small town.
The event is hosted by the Honeywood Hockey Moms – an organization of dedicated women who volunteer to make sure the tournament takes place each year.
This year 13 teams from around the region took part in the tournament. The number of teams entered is growing each year as word gets around about the popular event and women’s teams want to enter.
“It’s a lot of hard work and some very dedicated women,” DeLaat said. “A lot of the success is support from local business. For a little rink in North Dufferin County, the teams really get behind us.”
The event got underway with a ceremonial puck drop on Friday night with special guests representing the Headwaters Healthcare Foundation.