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Colour Me Pink Hockey tournament raises $30,000 for CancerCare

Stars strut their stuff in pink
video: Assistant Coach Sam Markam, and Amanda Lefley

Author's Note: I play defence for the Northern Stars

Hockey teams travel to what seems like the edge of the earth during the winter months.

November 6, 2009, the Manitoba Women’s Junior Hockey League hit the road to kick-off the second annual Twister Head Shave Fundraiser; a weekend hockey tournament in support of CancerCare in Morris, Manitoba.

The tournament was started in February 2009. The Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League’s team, the Pembina Valley Twisters, decided to throw a fundraiser in support of Dale Remple who was diagnosed with brain cancer and was apart of bringing a MMJHL team to Morris.

“Last June my partner Dale Remple was diagnosed with brain cancer and the Twister hockey players decided that we should do a fundraiser for cancer. A head shave and silent auction. We did that last February and we raised $40,000,” said Glen Munford, the co-ordinator of the tournament. His goal this year was to raise $50,000.

The weekend raises money by having people in the area gather pledges to shave their heads, and by offering silent auction prizes.

In February there was one feature game but this time around there were teams invited from all categories of minor hockey.

“All the hockey teams. The squirts, novice, everybody plays,” said Munford.

Two Winnipeg teams were invited, the Northern Stars and the Manitoba Blizzard from the MWJHL. The teams started off the weekend with a close match, ending in a 2-1 win for the Stars.

The crowd was entertained with a fast-paced game, but also by the acknowledgment shown by the Stars.

It is unlike women to mismatch, but the forest green sweaters of the Stars were paired with bright pink sock and stick tape. The goaltender, Courtney Lofto taped the shape of a ribbon on the back of her helmet - in pink.

To match their players, the coaching staff wore pink shirts. The tribute was head coach Bruce Instance’s idea.

“I thought it was a nice touch given the reason we were out there,” said Instance whose 21-year-old daughter, Darci Instance, has been diagnosed twice with cancer in three years. “Pink is a symbol everyone identifies with, the reason why we were there.”

The tournament raised approximately $30,000. Munford said there were a lot of things working against them in terms of raising money, such as a late harvest in the area.

Kirk Kuppers, the head executive of the MWJHL, said the league will be discussing the topic of a donation on their behalf.

The third annual Twister Head Shave Fundraiser will take place around November 10, 2010.

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