Weather might have forced them to get creative, but the 2024 Pond Hockey Festival on the Rock was a rousing success.
No word yet on how much the event, which ran Feb. 2-3, brought in for its chosen charities, but the fact the number of teams grew from 20 in 2023 to 29 this year suggests the amount raised should be pretty health.
Normally held on Ramsey Lake, the organizing committee had to get creative this year when it became clear the warm weather meant it wouldn’t be advisable to pack a few hundred people onto the ice of the city’s second largest waterbody.**
So, organizing committee member Jason Keller explained, the decision was made to proceed using the city’s extensive network of playground rinks and indoor rinks should that become necessary.
Participants did get the chance to play some pond hockey though during this year’s event. Fortunately, ice conditions at Robinson Playground were good enough that players could play at least one game on an actual frozen lake.
“We’ve had some struggles with the weather this year, but it’s been amazing the support we’ve had from the rink staff, the volunteers, everybody’s just been working overtime for this great cause,” Keller said.
“The last couple weeks has been very touch and go. We’ve had to move venues multiple times, schedules multiple times, so the patience we’ve had from the teams, the volunteers, the ice people, it’s just been unreal. You can see we’re making through it and everybody is having a good time.”
With Ramsey off the table, games were played at Algonquin Playground, Delki Dozzi Park, the Northern Hockey Academy, Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex and Sudbury Arena. Some games were played on the ice on Robinson Lake as previously mentioned.
The 2024 version of the festival drew 29 teams in three divisions, Corporate, Co-ed and Men’s Rec.
The festival raised money for two charities: Camp Quality in Northern Ontario, a summer camp that supports children and families battling cancer, and; Northern Ontario Families of Children with Cancer, a Sudbury charity that supports children and families through their cancer journey.
“A big thanks to all the supporters out there, everybody that was able to help. The rink staff have been working, literally, day and night to make this happen,” Keller said. “And the patience from the teams, the commitment from the committee as well, and all the volunteers … It’s been awesome to see the community come together to make this happen.”
**An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Ramsey Lake was the city's largest water body. In fact, that disctinction goes to Lake Wanapitei. Ramsey is just shy of eight square kilometres in size, while Wanapitei is considerably larger, at 188 square kilometres.
Mark Gentili is the editor of Sudbury.com.