An Ottawa area Peewee hockey team who witnessed the devastation in their tornado-ravaged community has won a $100,000 grand prize for disaster relief.
The West Carleton Warriors beat out hundreds of teams to make it to the semifinals of the , which rewards the charitable performance of teams off the ice. Many of the Warriors players have witnessed the continued devastation in Dunrobin, Ont., a community torn apart by a tornado in September, and wanted to help out, the team told CTV Ottawa. The win meant a lot to the players, many of whom have friends in the Dunrobin area.
鈥淣o matter how many tournaments we could win, that would never live up to how good it felt to win the Good Deeds Cup,鈥� said Warriors goalie James Kalman.
Other teams who competed to help neighbourhood homeless shelters and hospice centres were in the finals. One team in Vancouver hoped to win the prize for the Kidney Foundation and their coach, who was in need of a kidney transplant.
The teams created video campaigns as part of the competition, and those with the most views were entered into the final round when a panel from Hockey Canada and Chevrolet selected the winners. The Warriors will receive the money for disaster relief in Dunrobin.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e helping these families out. They鈥檙e going to get houses back, they鈥檙e going to get their yards cleaned,鈥� said head coach Sean Lecuyer.
The team will also be given a winner鈥檚 ceremony in their home town and a special feature on broadcast television.
Entries for the next Good Deeds Cup begin in September.
Congrats to the , winners of the ��
鈥� Chevrolet Canada (@ChevroletCanada)
When a tornado hit town, this team picked up and pitched in. And every day, continue to inspire with good deeds.
These players showed the kindness and character that hockey provides.
Good deeds, make great players.
