By Jasmine Brough, Bruce Peninsula Press
On April 7th, 2021, The Bruce Peninsula Minor Hockey Association were one of ten recipients in Canada to receive $10,000 from the Krugers Big Assist Program.
Kruger is Canada’s leading manufacturer of quality tissue products (Scotties, Spongetowels, Purex). This year Kruger donated $150,000 to minor hockey organizations across Canada teaming up with the “Big Assist” Program. The Kruger Big Assist Program is rewarding fifteen Minor Hockey Associations across Canada with $10,000 to provide financial assistance to hockey families in their communities. Kruger is also donating $5 for every assist recorded in the 2020-21 NHL regular season.
The Peninsula Predators, along with nine other Minor Hockey Associations, were announced as winners of the Kruger Big Assist Program during the intermission of a Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens game.
South Bruce Peninsula, Neyaashiinigmiing and Georgian Bluffs
It was Dianne McCartney who wrote the essay that nominated The Peninsula Predators for the Kruger Big Assist. “One of the points that I put in the essay was that our organization is made up of four municipalities, being North Bruce Peninsula, South Bruce Peninsula, Neyaashiinigmiing and Georgian Bluffs,” said Dianne.
Hockey is an expensive sport to play when it comes down to registration fees, equipment and mileage. It is not uncommon for hockey families to be paying around $1,000 in a minor hockey season. The $10,000 Kruger Big Assist will help cover the cost of registration for hockey families in need in the community.
The Bruce Peninsula Minor Hockey Association already runs a program to help families with the registration fee. Tiffany Robins, Secretary of the Minor Hockey Association, says any first time players to the Minor Hockey Association are free of charge for their first playing season up to the U-13 age category. “If there are ever kids who want to play hockey but they’re family doesn’t have the money, we want them to come and try it anyway!” Tiffany explains.
The Kruger Big Assist is separate from the pre-existing first time registration program. The $10,000 would also go toward registration, but is available to any hockey family who is in need of financial aid. Information regarding how hockey families can apply for the financial assistance has not yet been provided.
The pandemic greatly affected this hockey season. The team sizes were reduced to 10 players in total and the team was required to play within a 50 player bubble. For some age groups this meant getting to play with teams from other associations such as Shallow Lake. For other groups this meant only playing in-house.
“The covid experience allowed some to bond with their age group and play amongst kids who would normally play rep hockey vs. local hockey, they were all intermixed. In my opinion, what it did was accelerate the skills of those who may have been behind and a new way of playing was presented to the rep players,” Tiffany explains.
Unfortunately the hockey season was interrupted twice, first from the December-February shutdown, then in April as the province moved into another Covid-19 lockdown.
To find out more information about The Kruger Big Assist funding, keep an eye on Bruce Peninsula Minor Hockey Association’s Facebook Page or check their website. facebook: @brucepeninsulaminorhockey, website: northbrucehockey
