They shot, and they scored!
Over 1500 athletes — some, weathered NHL pros and others, regular Joes — laced up at Toronto's Ontario Place on October 1 for the first annual Road Hockey To Conquer Cancer and raised over $2.4 million in the process.
Celebrity captains included ex-NHLers Jeremy Roenick, Johnny Bower, Scotty Bowman, Derek Sanderson, Georges Laraque and Bryan Trottier.
Canadian Olympians Alex Bilodeau, Curt Harnett, Adam Van Koeverden, Elizabeth Manley and Jayna Hefford, as well as rockers Tom Cochrane and Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart also laced up their shoes for the tournament, which saw teams race through a five-game schedule throughout the course of the day.
NHL alumni Roenick, Don Cherry, TV hosts Scott Morrison and James Duthie, Dr. Peter Ferguson and 17-year-old victim — and fundraiser — Tyler McGregor, were on hand to emcee the occasion and present numerous awards.
Top event fundraisers included The Lions, captained by Adrian Mariampillai, who raised $74,835; Patrick Keeley, whose individual efforts added another $33,177 to fund the battle against cancer, and Boston Pizza, the top fundraising corporation.
Proceeds were split between The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society.
Paul Alofs, The Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation’s president and CEO, said in a statement that this is just the first step of a nationwide rollout.
“We have partnered with the Canadian Cancer Society with a vision and ambition to roll Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer out to other cities and towns across Canada in the years ahead.”
Martin Kabat, president and CEO of The Canadian Cancer Society, Ontario Division, concurred.
“Our two organizations share one ultimate, common goal: to fight cancer until it is conquered. The Canadian Cancer Society is proud to contribute millions of dollars to research at The Princess Margaret and indeed, all across Canada.”
Of course, all players and participants share the same end goal: to eradicate cancer by any means necessary.
