The 8th annual Kimmett Cup will be taking place on Jan. 15 and 16 with a record-breaking 52 teams registered to participate.
The 3-on-3 memorial hockey tournament will take place at Mitford Pond and Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) Family Sports Centre starting at 5 p.m. on Jan. 15 and at 8 a.m. on Jan. 16.
The tournament is in memory of Lindsay Leigh Kimmett, a Cochrane resident who tragically passed away in 2008.
Kimmett was an aspiring doctor and “was destined to accomplish great things”.
After her passing, her friends and family started the Lindsay Leigh Kimmett Memorial Foundation which provides multiple annual scholarships and sponsorships in the area.
“Joe MacLellan and myself wanted to create an event that celebrated her life and legacy,” said Jason Baserman, co-chair of the tournament alongside MacLellan and Reid Kimmett.
Partnering with the event this year are the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation.
The tournament is appropriate because “hockey was her passion” and it provides a great way “to raise money for a good cause.”
In total there will be nine ice surfaces; seven outside at Mitford Pond and one donated indoor arena at SLS Family Sports Centre that will be split in half.
The tournament is co-ed and open to all ages, though players under 18 will need parents/guardians to sign a waiver. There will be three divisions: competitive, recreational, and fun.
The fun division is geared towards “celebrating the game” so no score will be kept.
Participating in the fun division this year are “three Wish recipients and pediatric cancer survivors, Paxton, Owen, and Kypton.”
“They will be competing on the ‘ACH Wishmakers’ and ‘UnderACHievers’; teams comprised of nurses, residents and staff physicians from Alberta Children’s Hospital,” said Baserman.
The recreational division welcomes all skill levels but some skating experience is recommended. There will be playoffs for the top teams in this division.
Competing in this division will be the Kimmett Cup’s Ambassador through the Children’s Wish Foundation, Ryan. He is the captain of “The Wish Heroes,” a team “comprised of his Wish family and other Children’s Wish kids and families”.
According to Children’s Wish Foundation, Ryan’s wish is “to attend the 2016 All-Star hockey events in Nashville this coming winter. Along with the events that go along with the game, his family intends to check out the many sites that music city has to offer.”
Thanks to this tournament, his wish will be granted.
The competitive division is recommended for returning teams and will have playoffs for the top teams. The winning team of this division qualifies for the Alberta Pond Hockey Championships.
“We have people as young as six years old and as old as 68 years old – you can’t count anybody out,” said Baserman.
Starting at around 1 p.m. on the second day of the tournament, everyone is invited to stop by the Slew-Foot Saloon, which will be located on the second floor of the SLS Family Sports Centre. It will be serving special team drink and food specials.
After the tournament, there will be a banquet held in the Slew-Foot Saloon at around 5 p.m. and will consist of live and silent auctions, raffle ticket prizes, 50/50, special guest speakers, video presentations, and food and drink specials.
The banquet will feature “powerful” presentations from individuals from the Children’s Wish Foundation and the Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation.
Proceeds from the raffle will go towards Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation while the rest of the proceeds from the tournament will go to the Children’s Wish Foundation.
Since 2014, the tournament has raised $278,243 for the Children’s Wish Foundation and granted over 25 wishes.
“Even with the economic turmoil we’ve had this year its incredible that people are donating not only their money but their time,” said Baserman.
Currently, the registration for this event is full but teams can sign up to be put on a wait list.
Those who start a Children’s Wish page to accept donations for this event will be entered into a prize draw. The page that raises the most money will be given the Spirit of Kimmett Cup award.
Those who sign up to be a sponsor online will be sent a tax receipt automatically.
In anticipation of this event, the Town of Cochrane council has declared Jan. 14, the eve of the tournament, Children’s Wish Day.
To learn more about Ryan or to make a donation, please visit childrenswish.ca/kimmettcup
To register yourself or a team, please visit kimmettcup.com
