New Westminster hockey players are learning how to win on and off the ice.
Players from the New Westminster Minor Hockey Association raised over $1,000 for the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation. The 15 to 17-year-olds donned Santa hats and sang Christmas carols in front of Royal City businesses during the Nov. 16 and 17 charity fundraising event.
Organizer Brian Tuccori, coach of the midget C2 team, says his young players went the extra mile because the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation is a cause they can really identify with.
"The great thing about the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation is that the players are raising money for kids their age who have no ability go out and play hockey - they're helping to give them a fighting chance to get back in the game," said Tuccori. "Once they get there and they get started, they feel good about it - they feel good about giving back."
The foundation raises money with the help of community volunteers to support B.C. Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child and Family Research Institute. The funds go to new medical equipment, facilities and other ways of improving the health and lives of the young people in care.
You might say it's the third annual NWMHA charity drive. Tuccori, a 37-year-old New Westminster resident, has organized similar events the past two Yuletide seasons. And he has big plans for next Christmas.
"We're trying to get all the kids (from NWMHA) involved to do one or two hours a day and do the events over two weeks," said Tuccori. "We should be able to raise a lot of money if we have that many players involved."
Tuccori said getting the players out to give back to the community also brings them closer together as a team. And that team spirit was evident last month, when his C squad won a midget recreational hockey tournament in Parksville.
In the gold medal game, the Royal City team trailed North Delta 4-3 in the third period and were shorthanded. But they didn't give up. Jacob Chiu scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill to give New West the lead they would never lose. New West went on to win the championship final, 6-4.
