OMHA & Weekend Hockey Award $5,000 Grant to the Waxers' Growing the Game Initiative
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association and Weekend Hockey Tournaments are excited to announce the recipients of the annual Hockey is Fun grant, a program that started last season, to showcase initiatives by OMHA Associations to grow the game at the local level.
The $20,000 grant money was raised at Hockey is Fun tournaments run by Weekend Hockey last season and is being split between six Associations. This year’s six winners had unique grassroots programs to bring new families into the game and to promote positive minor hockey experiences in communities across the province. The winning initiatives included try hockey and equipment programs, a family support fund for families that face financial challenges to play, as well as programs that help underrepresented and underserved groups.
The Markham Waxers, who received one of the $5,000 grants, have been offering Learn to Play and First Shift programs that sell out and have had great success for a number of years.
"The participants, many of them have never been on the ice before, never put on skates before. We help them get dressed from head to toe. They go from shuffling around the ice to skating rather smoothly," said Rich Brewda, part of the Growing the Game committee. He added, "since these programs began, we've introduced hockey to over 350 brand new families. We've had players graduate from these programs into our house league, and even some on to select and rep. The grant will be great to [help us] introduce hockey to a whole new generation of players."
Twin Centre Minor Hockey received a $5,000 grant for their program that loans equipment to new players for the year at no cost. Drayton Minor Hockey, Whitby Minor Hockey, Burford Minor Hockey, and Oshawa Community Hockey League were also awarded $2,500 grants for their programs.
Thank you to both the OMHA and Weekend Hockey Tournaments for supporting the growth of minor hockey in our communities.