By Emma Persaud [1]
BELLEVILLE – After three years of raising money for different sports activities, the Kerr Pond Hockey Tournament [2] on Oak Lake is back and will take place Saturday, March 5.
This year, organizer John Kerr says, the money will go to Belleville and Quinte West Special Olympics [3].
“It’s nice to give back,” the Stirling resident said. “We think it is important for kids to take part in play.”
The tournament brought out over 80 people to play last year, and Kerr says even more came to watch. The participants managed to raise over $1,250, which went to Stirling Sports Night – an after-school program at Stirling Public School [4] – and to help maintain the outdoor track at the school.
Kerr said organizers hope to raise around $1,500 this year, and the total might be higher with the help of sponsors and an entry fee of $10 per hockey player. A cash prize of $200 will be given to the winning team, and $100 to second place.
“In the past we gave out hot dogs and drinks by donation,” he said. “But this year we are going to charge a price for them to help us reach our goal.”
There will also be raffles throughout the day for prizes donated from tournament sponsors.
Teams can have between four and nine players, and will be able to play at least two games. Kerr is looking for people to sign up through his Facebook page [5].
“It really helps us to stay connected to our community,” he said. “People are always asking us when the next one will be, and it really encourages us to keep this going.”