INNISFAIL – There will be an Innisfail Pontiacs reunion in September that will include the unveiling of the updated Larry Reid Memorial Tribute Board and the official passing of the legacy created in the name of the hockey team’s beloved coach.
The Innisfail reunion of past members of the 1962-63 Pontiacs team will take place on Sept. 24 at the Innisfail Golf Club from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
However, the alumni will have a special moment at the Innisfail Twin Arena from 10 to 11 a.m. for the updated tribute board unveiling.
“That's (tribute board) being updated, and that is going to be turned over to Innisfail minor hockey,” said Vern Fox, a Pontiacs alumni member, whose midget hockey team went all the way to the provincial final under Reid’s coaching guidance.
Reid, who passed away in 2016, was considered a local hockey giant for his volunteerism of more than 20 years in the development of Innisfail minor hockey, as well as being a coach with the Innisfail Eagles senior men's hockey club.
The reunion will also be an event to publicly acknowledge turning over stewardship of the Larry Reid Memorial Coaching Development Fund (LRMCD) that was established by Pontiacs alumni members in 2017.
The development fund was created as a tribute to Reid and to give back to the Innisfail community; a legacy fund to support coach development within the Innisfail Minor Hockey Association (IMHA).
“We've been working on succession for quite a while, and the fund got up to about $75,000,” said Fox, who was in Innisfail three years ago with other Pontiacs alumni to announce a signed agreement between the foundation and IMHA that a $3,400 coaching development grant would be awarded in perpetuity. “The best way we could find to proceed with this whole thing was getting Innisfail minor hockey to take over a portion of the fund and operate it exactly the same way we did.
“The proceeds obviously are for their use the way they were before,” he added. “Another portion of the funds went to the Hockey Alberta Foundation, where Larry worked for a number of years, as well as in coaching certification.”
He said about $43,500 went to the IMHA, while Hockey Alberta Foundation received $32,000.
Fox said the transaction work for the administration of the fund was completed in April. He said Alberta Corporate Registry has confirmed that the LRMCD Foundation has now been dissolved.
“All that's happened is Innisfail Minor Hockey Association are taking a portion of the money and are going to operate it in a fund exactly the same way as we did,” said Fox. “It will be invested. In fact, it already is invested and earning an income. So, nothing's really changed.
“The income they will take, and portion of it, will go to coaching development each year and the rest will be reinvested.”
It’s expected more details of the transition will be discussed on Sept. 24 at either the Innisfail Twin Arena or at the Innisfail Golf Club.
Fox will be attending, along with Larry Reid’s son David and representatives from the IMHA and Hockey Alberta Foundation.
