The Greater Trail Minor Hockey Bantam AA’s have proven to be great sandbaggers, but their hard work has definitely paid off.
The Tier 2 Bantam players, coaches, and parents spent a full day last month filling close to 5,000 bags of sand for motorists looking to give themselves a little more traction over the winter.
“It’s one of those things that we do as a fundraiser . . . it saves money for hockey trips and it’s really good for the kids to actually work towards something, and not just go out and sell chocolates, and its about getting out and working in the community,” said team director Lea McNaughton.
The team distributes the bags to various service stations and companies throughout Greater Trail, and the funds raised will help offset expenses for travel to tournaments and play in the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association (OMAHA).
“We’ve done it for the last couple years, so places like Teck, City of Trail and Fortis and most of the gas stations all have pre-order sheets, so we fill as much as they request and then we always do extra - so we’ll have lots stockpiled for when they run out.”
The Bantams have had an exceptional start to the season and are tied with Westside for top spot in the Bantam AA OMAHA League with five wins, three losses and a tie.
The team also took home the gold medal in their first tournament in Kelowna last month and will host their own tournament Dec. 7-9 with teams from the Okanagan, Spokane and Calgary visiting.
The Trail Bantams have a solid group of experienced second year kids, and quality first-year players who really add to the team dynamic, with great coaching in Craig Clare, Steve Robinson, and Ken Siddall, added McNaughton.
Their next game is Saturday against Kamloops at 4:30 p.m. at the Cominco Arena.