INNISFAIL – Entering its 28th year the annual Dean Turnquist Spring Fever Road Hockey Tournament is still an enthusiastic undertaking by volunteers to make an enormous difference for many families throughout Central Alberta to give their kids an opportunity to be a part of local sports programs.
On May 3, the Innisfail Twin Arena was a beehive of excitement with well over 100 road hockey participants to do their part to raise at least $5,000 for the tourney’s Helping Hand Fund Innisfail.
“This year we’ve helped quite a few families. I'd say we're on average for 30 families this year in Innisfail and Central Alberta,” said Nicole Pillman, a fund committee member. “We have helped families from Penhold, Bowden and the surrounding area for a lot of ball fees this spring.
“We're already looking at hockey fees going into next year,” she added. ‘We’re sending a kid out to band camp. We’re branching out and trying to help as many families as we can.”
“We just need to get our name out there.”
This year’s road hockey tournament featured 12 adults’ teams from Calgary, Red Deer and Innisfail, with each paying a $300 registration fee.
As well, there were six kids teams that signed up, including two from Rocky Mountain House and another from Tofield.
Registration fees for kids are $30 per child, with all proceeds going to the Helping Hand Fund Innisfail.
Money for the fund is also raised through the Dark Woods Brewing-sponsored beer gardens during the day at the arena, and the evening cabaret at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104.
“It's a nice day to come out and have some drinks,” said Pillman, noting Dark Woods is now a big part of the fund’s annual fundraising by also sponsoring the popular Polar Plunge. “We're strictly exclusive Dark Woods this year at the beer gardens, which is nice.”
And as always, Dean Turnquist is proudly watching all the road hockey action at the arena.
This year the tournament trophy for the winning teams arrived at the arena early, a big reminder created by Antler Hill Welding Services that all kids deserve a chance to play sports.
“It's a pretty cool thing. They get to pack it around for the night,” said Turnquist. “They come to the cabaret, and they can pack it around.”
Most importantly for Turnquist after almost 30 years spearheading the tournament, is that it’s has not only become a cherished institution for the town and region but an even more vital necessity during these current troubling economic times.
“Those economic factors are going to affect households more and more and affect the ability for parents to put their kids in whatever sport it is, or whatever activity,” said Turnquist. “Having the funding to be a part of some activity that helps them grow as individuals, to become better people in our community, is more important now than it has ever been.
“It's so awesome to see other groups in the community stepping up and helping us when they can, and it means a lot to us.”
