Hometown hockey

3 on 3 tournament kicks off this Friday

On a weekend filled with hockey, the Wellington Outdoor Ice Rink will play host to the First Annual Midtown 3 on 3 Charity Classic. This Friday, the hockey tournament will play in conjunction with a dinner hosted at Midtown Brewing Company where half of the ticket price will be used to help fund two local initiatives through the CML Snider parent council. One will be to support the Come Alive Outside program, which creates awareness about the benefits of using our outdoor spaces for health and educational purposes. The other is the CML Snider breakfast program, which provides nutritious food for students who may require it at the start of a school day.

The dinner starts at 5 p.m. and is $20 for adults and $10 for kids. It includes a family-style spaghetti dinner with salad and dessert. The team at Midtown Brewing Company are thankful for the support of local companies like Walt’s Sugar Shack, Royal Sugar Baking, and Rosehall Run winery, who donated both time and products to help make the event a reality.

“From the start we wanted find a way to raise money for CML Snider School. The school is our next-door neighbour. It’s where my son will be going. So, when we found out the rink was coming back for another year, we thought that a local 3 on 3 tournament along with a dinner would be fun,” says Elisha Andrewsky, Operations Manger at Midtown Brewing Company.

There are no reservations, so getting there early to eat and to participate will be key. Following the dinner will be the team draft and the opening ceremonies. The first game starts at 6:30 p.m. The winner of the tournament will receive the Cornelius Cup, named after the keg of beer the trophy was made out of. It is a labour of love that the brewery staff have really gotten into.

“We have also made a commemorative jersey for the event. The patches are sewn by Lynn Gillingham at Wild Card. It’s nice to have so many people donate their time to this. We want to make sure that this event is around for years to come. Hopefully next year it will grow to include a youth tournament in the daytime as well,” says Andrewsky.

Even though the tournament will be in full-swing, people are encouraged to still bring their skates. Games will be played with 10-minute breaks in between so that the public can also use the ice. It’s the inclusion aspect that makes Midtown Brewing Company’s event unique. Everyone is considered. Very Canadian. After all, what’s more Canadian than hosting a charity 3 on 3 hockey tournament, at night, on a rink donated by a community member? It’s being given something and giving back all at the same time, and everyone wins.