Hockey season briefly sprang back to life in Innisfail this month at the Innisfail Arena during the 19th annual Dean Turnquist Spring Fever Road Hockey Tournament.
The 2014 tournament on May 3, which witnessed almost 200 players participating, raised almost $5,000 with a finally tally yet to be determined.
The Dean Turnquist Spring Fever Road Hockey Tournament started in 1995 when Dean Turnquist lost his eye during a recreational hockey game. His friends and neighbours organized a road hockey tournament to help raise funds and garner support for Turnquist's recovery.
Since then, the tournament has continued to raise money to help children from financially challenged families to participate in sports through the Helping Hand Fund. To date, the fund has raised close to $50,000 through the annual tournament.
“This year we had 25 teams register for the event,” said Trish Pols, committee member and organizer for the tournament. “There were seven adult teams and 18 youth teams.”
Past tournaments have attracted local players of all ages, along with several high-profile professional players like the Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011.
Pols was surprised at the way the tournament has attracted young road hockey players.
“We started the youth division several years ago and it has grown to where we have teams from Rocky Mountain House and Spruce View coming to play,” said Pols.
This year, the Innisfail Minor Football Association was the recipient of some of the funds, which will go towards the purchase of helmets for league players. The association also supplied volunteers to help run the tournament.
“It was nice to see coaches and kids from the Innisfail Minor Football Association come out and give back,” said Pols. “They kept score and were timekeepers as well.”
Pols noted that Helping Hands is only one of many organizations in Innisfail that help children get into sports. The organization will continue to run the tournament as long as there is a need, said Pols.
Further information on the Dean Turnquist road hockey tournament can be found on Facebook.
