Hockey Night in St. Catharines raises more than $140,000 for charity
There was a lot of fun on the ice, but more importantly a lot of funds raised for two important causes at Hockey Night in St. Catharines 3 on Friday night at Jack Gatecliff Arena.
The annual charity hockey game raised $140,420 that will be divided between the United Way of St. Catharines and District and support for people living with Parkinson’s disease. This year’s effort brings the total amount raised over the three years of Hockey Night in St. Catharines to more than $365,000.
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“There is a reason Hockey Night in St. Catharines has twice been named our top fundraising event,” says Frances Hallworth, Executive Director of the United Way of St. Catharines and District. “The response we have had from the community and our sponsors has been astounding this year, and I can’t say enough about the players taking the time out of their busy schedules. They were fun to watch, but more importantly were fantastic with the fans, especially the kids. It’s an experience that won’t be soon forgotten.”
It is the first years funds raised from the game will go towards Parkinson’s research. Steve Ludzik, captain of the Niagara “Grey” Beards, announced earlier this year that he has been battling the neurological disorder.
“I sincerely thank all of the tremendous hockey players who donated their time and sweat to put on a great show for the fans of Niagara,” says Ludzik. “As you can see from the star-studded lineups that took the ice, we had an excellent response to support some great causes.”
In the game, Ludzik’s Niagara “Grey” Beards defeated Dykstra’s Niagara “Blue” Beards 12-10.
The game will be broadcast on TVCogeco (Cable 10) on Aug. 12 at 8 p.m., Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. and Aug. 19 at 8 p.m. Hockey Night in St. Catharines will be available on Cogeco’s free Video on Demand service, making it available to any digital Cogeco customer in Ontario.
“It is humbling to see how quickly this event has grown,” says St. Catharines MP Rick Dykstra, who initiated the annual event in 2010 and captained the Niagara “Blue” Beards. “We have seen tremendous growth in both ticket sales and corporate support, and we have been able to do good things for our community of St. Catharines. I’m looking forward to making Hockey Night in St. Catharines 4 even more successful next summer.”
Follow the United Way of St. Catharines and District on Twitter @UWStCathDis. Follow Hockey Night in St. Catharines on Twitter @HNISC and keep up with the conversation with the hashtag #HNISC3. Get more information at www.hockeynightinstcatharines.com.
About Hockey Night in St. Catharines III:
Hockey Night in St. Catharines III is a charity hockey game featuring Canadian MPs and elite hockey players that raises funds for the United Way of St. Catharines and District. Since the initial game in 2010, Hockey Night in St. Catharines has been named the United Way’s top fundraising event two years running, raising more than $225,000 for the umbrella charity group.
