Easter Seals in Sudbury has organized a celebrity hockey tournament featuring some outstanding former National Hockey League players for a fundraising dinner and an all-star game.
It is the first ever Sudbury Celebrity Hockey Classic in support of Easter Seals Ontario presented by Belanger Lincoln Ford Centre and is set to take place on October 20 and 21, 2022, said a news release.
The Celebrity Draft Dinner fundraiser, to be held on Thursday Oct. 20, will welcome NHL alumni Wendel Clark, Sudbury’s own Ron Duguay, Rick Vaive, Mike Krushelnyski, Al Iafrate, and Dennis Maruk. Participants will have the chance to draft these NHL legends as ‘captains’ for tournament play the next day.
Already six hockey teams have been fundraising for weeks and will play two games alongside the NHL alumni. The ALL-STAR game is set for lunch hour on Friday, Oct. 21 at the Gerry McCrory Countryside arena. The top two fundraisers from each team will play against the legends.
Teams participating include Belanger Lincoln Ford, Civiltek, Chiseled Hockey/3rd Line Studio, Idywylde Golf and Country Club, Lake City Realty (75 per cent all-women’s team). And last but not least, said the organizers, an all-Indigenous team will be playing to honour truth and reconciliation and the Every Child Matters movement. This is another first for the tournament.
"It is wonderful to have the inaugural event in Sudbury encompass and reflect the values of inclusivity while supporting Easter Seals Ontario in its 100th anniversary year," said the organizers.
Easter Seals said the funds raised through the Sudbury Celebrity Hockey Classic will help provide children with physical disabilities the tools they need to reach their full potential and make their own positive impact on the world.
"Easter Seals Ontario believes that the hardest limitations are not physical and with the right resources and support, anything is possible. All donations from this event will help to power life-changing programs and services, such as mobility and accessibility equipment funding, fully accessible summer camps, post-secondary scholarships, youth ambassadors, and advocacy and public awareness efforts. By supporting this event, we can help kids be kids and set them up with the equipment, confidence, and self-expression to grow into enriched adults," said the news release.
Tickets for the Thursday night dinner on Oct. 20 are still available for purchase at $150 per person. Supporters who plan to attend can contact the Easter Seals Sudbury office at 705.929.2589 for more information. The dinner will be held at the Local 6500 SteelWorkers’ Hall & Conference Center
For the hockey action, tournament play will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, October 21 at Gerry McCrory Countryside area and run throughout the day. Game day admission is free, but supporters can also choose to make a donation on the event website in support of Easter Seals Ontario at: https://secure.e2rm.com/p2p/location/378008.
