A local minor hockey team’s good deeds pitch could land a Vancouver Island children’s charity $100,000 to help kids with physical and mental health challenges.
The team of 11- and 12-year-old girls and boys from the Victoria Minor Hockey Association has been selected as B.C.’s regional finalist in a national contest, the Good Deeds Cup presented by Chevrolet Canada.
The Admirals team of enthusiastic community-driven players selected the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island (the Foundation) as their charity of choice and, if they win, will provide it with a significant funding boost. Their video pitch, one of 11 across Canada short-listed to win the grand prize, outlines a plan to purchase mobility and protective equipment for Island kids who need help learning how to walk or are at risk of head injuries due to seizures.
“It’s heartening to know these young players, their coaches and parents are our future,” said Veronica Carroll, CEO with the Foundation. “Specialized equipment for mobility, safety, and communications will give Island kids the life-changing support they need to develop skills and to join in play with their family and friends.”
The players know about the importance of protective gear – they wouldn’t be able to play the sport they love without it. They understand that there are some kids who need similar equipment to protect them, like soft-padded helmets or gait trainers, that teach them to walk. This equipment allows kids to do routine things in life that many others take for granted.
The soft-padded helmets and gait trainers are two items the Foundation has on a wish list of needs. The Admirals team now need the help of the Vancouver Island community and British Columbians to grant this wish and others for Island kids so that they can thrive at home, school or wherever they choose to play.
People can help by voting once per day for the Victoria Admirals at www.GoodDeedsCup.ca from Feb. 13 to 24. The grand prize winner of $100,000 for the charity of their choice will be announced on March 17, 2021.
The Chevrolet Good Deeds Cup seeks to inspire young Canadians to do good by transforming the positive values learned through hockey into Good Deeds within their communities. Along with their partners at Hockey Canada, Chevrolet’s goal is to help develop hockey players on and off the ice.
For over 90 years the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island has been harnessing the collective compassion of donors to ensure that Island children and youth have access to the health care they need. The Foundation invests in programs and services to support early childhood development, children and youth living with complex needs, and mental and physical health challenges. The Foundation owns family and youth centres in island communities, and homes-away-from-home adjacent to major hospitals on Vancouver Island to support families who need to travel for their children’s health care.
