Greater Trail Minor Hockey Association (GTMHA) is mobilizing the troops in search of nominations for hockey heroes in the community.
GTMHA’s long time volunteer and referee Glenn Wallace leads the initiative to get people on board the “Kraft Hockey Goes On” wagon.
The program, announced earlier this week, is helping Canadians share their passion for the game by recognizing important local volunteers who make hockey happen in communities across Canada. Through the program, 25 individuals will be celebrated and $1 million will be awarded to Hockey Canada-affiliated organizations.
“All our local programs are so successful because of those volunteers, which has always been the case, but just to get people thinking about what volunteers have done in the past and how we can use the ones that are helping us today, so we can move forward with some of our initiatives,” said Wallace.
Considering Greater Trail’s rich hockey history and affinity for the sport, the number of worthy nominees should be substantial.
Until Mar. 8, Greater Trail residents can nominate someone who dedicates their time and effort to ensure hockey goes on within their community by visiting www.KraftHockeyGoesOn.ca.
“I think there’s no problem with nominating a whole bunch of people, and I’d sure like to see that happen,” said Wallace. “The more we nominate the more it shows how important volunteers are to our program . . . but in the end, Kraft is going to select the nominees who are the most worthy of winning this promotion.”
Individuals selected will be based on online submissions of up to 2,500 characters, so quality as much as quantity is key.
“You have to say the right things, you’ve got to make sure that you have all the information that you think is important,” said Wallace. “You want to impress the judges that this person represents the kind of volunteer they want to recognize.”
“Kraft Hockey Goes On” is celebrating the top five individuals who keep hockey going in communities by awarding their chosen local hockey associations each with $100,000.
An additional 20 individuals will be recognized and their chosen hockey associations will each receive $20,000. The program will also donate $100,000 to Hockey Canada to distribute to Learn to Skate programs at the local level.
“There are over four million hockey volunteers across Canada and it is because of their passion and dedication that Canadian children have the chance to play the game and dream big,” said Jack Hewitt, Vice President of Marketing for Kraft Canada, in a release. “This is our way of saying thanks to these local hockey supporters for their commitment to Canada’s favourite sport.”
A panel of judges will narrow the nominations down to the top 100. Canadians can then vote online for their top choice amongst the 100 nominees from Mar. 23 – 24.
“(After the selection) they will turn it back to the public to select the ones that they think are most worthy and that’s when we need the public in Greater Trail to get behind any volunteers from our area that make the top 100,” said Wallace.
The top nominees receiving funds for their chosen hockey association will be announced on Mar. 30.
It is a wonderful opportunity to recognize Greater Trail volunteers and, in the event of a possible windfall, make improvements to Greater Trail arena facilities or contribute to GTMHA programs.
“Every day we watch local hockey supporters come together to share their love of the game and make hockey happen at the community level,” said Bob Nicholson, President and CEO, Hockey Canada.
“Whether it’s a coach or a parent driving carpool, these people are at the heart of hockey in this country. We’re so pleased that this program will recognize their hard work and dedication to the sport.”
Residents can make nominations online at www.KraftHockeyGoesOn.ca or submit them by email to Greater Trail minor hockey at gtmha.mail@gmail.com or go to www.gtmha.com for more contact info.
With files from Kraft Hockey.