This past weekend I had the opportunity to play in the second annual Braestone Winter Classic Charity Pond Hockey Tournament.
To be honest, I was a little hesitant to commit to the event because of the temperatures that felt colder than minus-38 degrees Celsius on Friday afternoon.
But there was a moment during the tournament when I looked off into the distance, beyond Braestone Farm, and thought about how beautiful the skyline looked. At that moment, I realized how lucky I am to be able to embrace Canadian winters and our nation's heritage by playing a game we all love with fellow community members, friends and colleagues.
With all due respect to my teammates, out of the 20 teams who played during the three-day tournament, I think our team may have been the worst. And out of all the players who skated on the pond, I might have been the least skilled.
There were players wearing St. Michael's Buzzers helmets, from a Junior 'A' team from Toronto. There were players wearing Barrie Colts 'AAA' helmets, and then there was me, a guy who scored a handful of times in house league as a kid, wearing a Jofa helmet.
While we only lost our first game by a few goals, we lost our second 25-3, and our third by a score of 30-10. Despite being blown out, I still felt like I played for the winning team this past weekend.
During the event, more than $103,000 was raised for the Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Program at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie. I am proud to be a part of that community effort.
The Braestone Winter Classic embodies everything that makes me proud to be Canadian. There is a togetherness that gives you a real sense of camaraderie and there was an upbeat spirit that is truly inspiring.
Ted Markle, the organizer of the event, says he is thrilled to see the fundraising goal get shattered by $23,000.
“We had this momentum coming into the final days,” he said. “We thought, 'Wow, wouldn’t it be amazing to hit $100,000.'”
Markle says he is "moved" by the sense of community among the participants, dedicated volunteers, and the organizing committee.
“I’m moved by the generous spirit of this community and beyond,” he said. “People came together for a great cause.”
The Braestone Winter Classic will return in 2024, Markle says, because he believes the community is craving more of what the tournament offers.
“Since the pandemic, I think our social connections have been frayed,” he said. “We need experiences like this to bring us closer together and pursue the common good as a community.”
Tyler Evans is a reporter with OrilliaMatters whose work often appears on BarrieToday.
