BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
Justin Peroni was a caring, generous kid who
loved to play hockey and have fun.
His remarkable spirit lives on through his
equally generous parents Paula and Dennis, who stepped up to
help their community, Coniston, by creating the Justin Peroni
Memorial Hockey Tournament.
Justin was killed in a traffic accident in
September of 2002 in Wahnapitae. He was 13.
The idea to create the tournament to raise
funds for the Justin Peroni Hockey Bursary was easy.
"Justin loved to have fun and make people
laugh," said Paula. "We thought it would be important to bring
that into a houseleague hockey tournament. Justin also had a
generous heart.
"Any proceeds from the tournament go towards
helping kids in the community who are less fortunate and can't
play hockey. Hockey is expensive these days, and the proceeds
will make sure that if anyone needs assistance, the money will
be there."
Dennis knows this kind gesture is putting a
big smile on his son's face.
"Justin is doing this himself through us,"
said Dennis. "He's been the whole inspiration behind it.
Justin's memory is generosity, and this keeps that memory
alive."
The tournament will run from Jan. 13 to 16,
2005, and will feature peewee, bantam and midget houseleague
teams from across Northern Ontario.
There are still spots available. Teams have
until Dec. 15 to register. Interested teams can email Dennis at
[email protected] for more information.
The four-day tournament is being organized
and designed with fun in mind for kids and parents alike.
On the Friday, there will be a bonfire,
outdoor skating party and barbecue.
"It will be a carnival-type atmosphere," said
Dennis.
On the Saturday, there will be a social and
dance at the Colonial Inn in Coniston, along with a silent
auction.
Both events are free of charge and everyone
from the community is welcome to attend.
On the Sunday, the championship games will be
played. Every team and player participating will receive an
award for being involved in the tournament.
"The response has been overwhelming," said
Paula about teams looking to play. "It's a wonderful thing. The
community as a whole has rallied behind
this and jumped on board."
Terry Gobbo, president of the Coniston Minor
Hockey Association (CMHA), is proud of the Peroni's efforts,
and remembers Justin fondly.
"I was the trainer on Justin's team when the
accident happened," said Gobbo. "Justin was a very happy child.
He always had funny comments and was the type of kid everybody
wanted to coach.
"This tournament compliments what Coniston
Minor Hockey stands for. It's definitely a good way to keep
Justin's spirit alive. It's a benefit to Justin and the
association by bringing more awareness to minor hockey in
Coniston."
Paula and Dennis have one other son, Tyler,
12.