Girls’ and women’s hockey is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world right now, including in Canada, with leagues popping up across the country and drawing thousands of eager fans to a sport traditionally dominated by males.
Monica McGinnis is the coach of the U13 house league team called the Thunder, and she is organizing a tournament to be played in Petawawa on January 24. “Thunder Day” is the name attached to the tourney. Monica explains:
Essentially, the tournament is considered a regular-season game for all teams that have coordinated schedules so they can all be in the same rink at the same time. The purpose of the tourney is fairly simple, says McGinnis:
All of the girls playing will be asked to bring a non-perishable food item to the arena, which will be donated to the Petawawa Pantry. There will be 50/50 draws, and each team will be designing a themed gift basket worth about $150. Some of the proceeds will go to Kyla’s Kids Club, a free program in the Beachburg, Ontario area for kids aged 4 to 12 that teaches them how to skate and play hockey.
Monica says parents of the players and spectators are welcome to bring a non-perishable food item for donation, although this is not mandatory, nor is there an entrance fee for the tournament. There will also be a “Chuck-a-Puck” contest at 1:30 p.m. for the kids, with prizes including a JBL speaker and wireless headphones. There will also be a larger grand prize up for grabs, says McGinnis:
The tournament takes place at the Silver Dart Arena, 51 Peacekeeper Way in Petawawa, and runs from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
(Written By: Richard Evans)