The Dress Purple game on Friday between the Trenton Golden Hawks and Wellington Dukes – part of the annual Hasty Ps Cup challenge between the two teams – will be raising money for the Children’s Foundation in Belleville. Photo by Jessica Schmidt, QNet News
By Jessica Schmidt [1]
BELLEVILLE – The Trenton Golden Hawks [2] and Wellington Dukes [3] are back in Hasty Ps Cup action on Friday night, in a special fundraising game for the Children’s Foundation [4].
The foundation is a non-profit that serves at-risk youth and their parents in Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward counties. Its programs include Camps of Hope [5], which provides funding for kids to go to camp year round, and Playing for Keeps [6], which gives money to families to allow their kids to play sports.
Zoey Jouwstra, special events co-ordinator for the foundation, says the community is generous when it comes to fundraising, and she’s thankful for the support.
https://www.qnetnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Zoey-Jouwstra-TCF-Clip.mp3 [7]
The Golden Hawks of the Ontario Junior Hockey League are supporting the foundation with their Dress Purple Game [8] against the Wellington Dukes on Friday. It’s Game 2 of the five games to be played by the two teams throughout the season to decide the next winner of the Hasty Ps Cup [9].
“It’s just one way of the team giving back to the community,” said John McDonald, the director of operations for the Golden Hawks. “The community supports us and we support the community. … The boys give back to the community, and it’s just a way of thanking the fans and thanking the people and just being part of everything.”
Proceeds from the majority of tickets sold for Friday’s game at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens [10] in Trenton are going to the Children’s Foundation. Environmental 360 Solutions [11], which runs waste management for Quinte West and Prince Edward County, purchased all the available tickets and gave them to the foundation to sell to the public.
There will also be two silent auctions during the game. Local companies and individuals have donated items that fans can bid on throughout the night. At past fundraising silent auctions, items up for bid have included tickets to hockey games and other events and gift cards for local businesses.
The Golden Hawks will be wearing special purple jerseys, which will also be auctioned off. Everyone in attendance can place bids on their favourite player’s jersey, and at the end of the night those with the winning bids will receive the jerseys directly from the players, who will sign them.
The arena is always packed when the rival Hawks and Dukes face off, and this game won’t be any different.
“We have a sellout and Wellington’s coming in, which is one of the best teams in the nation … It’s going to be a great evening,” McDonald said.
“I hope everybody digs deep in their pocketbooks. I know times are tough, but these kids need the money. So anything we can do will be great.”
If any tickets become available, they’ll be offered at the box office before the game starts. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.