At a time when the economy is sputtering, it’s more than a little reassuring to know we still have and can celebrate the good
ol’ hockey game. That was obviously the case over the weekend as the Rotary Club of Guelph and its volunteers did their part to celebrate Hockey Day in Canada with the club’s annual Charity Hockey Challenge at the Sleeman Centre. Teams from across the city — and across the region — laced them up to collect funds in support of Hospice Wellington, the Sunrise Therapeutic Riding and Learning Centre and other worthwhile Rotary projects. When the number-crunching was finished, the final tally revealed more than $30,000 — up from last year’s total of about $28,000. Perhaps what makes this event so special is the fact that it truly offers a glimpse at grassroots hockey and support throughout the community. The players assembled Saturday received financial support from family and friends as they prepared for the event. Once on the ice, some of the talents displayed weren’t pretty — but no one seemed to mind.
At the end of the day it was a collective desire to make this community better — and support the Rotary Club along the way — that really made the difference.