On Thursday March 10th, students from A.K Wigg’s Early Acts Club will be hosting their second annual Ball Hockey Tournament. Proceeds from the event- dubbed ‘Hockey for Haiti’- will go toward the construction of a classroom in Haiti, where educational infrastructure was heavily damaged during a massive earthquake in 2010.
“It’s important for kids everywhere to have an education,” said Maya Speck, one of the students involved with the tournament. “One day they are going to grow up and have a family, and they are going to need to support that family.”
To build the classroom, the school must raise $10,000 to be donated to Free the Children, who partner with communities to build and rehabilitate schools. The students plan to donate over the next few years through a variety of fundraisers like Hockey for Haiti.
“This is a ten year project that we’re trying to take on,” said student Emma Fyfe.
Though $10,000 is a lofty goal, Pelham has routinely shown unmatched generosity in the past, according to Tim Droppert, the teacher in charge of the event.
“It’s one of their biggest target goals at Free the Children,” he said. “But since I’ve come to A.K Wigg I’ve been blown away over and over by the generosity of this community. It never ceases to amaze me. If there is a community that could step up to this challenge, I think Pelham can do it.”
The decision to raise funds through a ball hockey tournament was an obvious one, according to student Paige Dixon, because of the popularity of the sport:
“A lot of our school mates love playing hockey, and it’s one of the main sports this time of year.”
Between the love of hockey and the dedication of the Early Acts club, Droppert has been impressed with the vitality and commitment that his students have brought to the tournament.
“They often have more questions than I have answers.” He said. “They are so excited, and have really taken ownership of the event. They recruit teams, design posters, collect money, and everything.”
The tournament will be run in a round-robin format, with the students broken up by grade into three divisions. The winning team from each division will be awarded a trophy at the end of the day. The event raises money through team entrance fees, concession sales and donations from local businesses. Last week, Droppert and 7 students went around Pelham leaving flyers with potential donors. This week they hope to collect funds. Donors will have their businesses advertised at the tournament, and are welcome to come by and check things out. Any businesses or persons wishing to donate can contact the school directly at 905-892-2605.
