LONDON, Ont. – Hockey Canada-registered minor hockey associations and programs in the City of London and the surrounding area will benefit from $400,000 in funding as a result of 2018 Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf, hosted in London last June. 

Hockey Canada Foundation executive director Donna Iampieri assembled members of the 2018 Gala & Golf legacy committee at the London Knights game Friday to present the legacy cheque. Co-chairs Jeff Macoun and Wayne Dunn and executive committee member Gord MacKenzie, as well as Tony Foresi, president of the Ontario Hockey Federation, were on hand to accept the cheque. 

“The Hockey Canada Foundation Gala & Golf is one of our marquee events and our single largest annual fundraiser for the continual growth of hockey from coast to coast to coast. We are thrilled to be able to leave behind a $400,000 legacy to ensure children and their families can pursue their passion for hockey in London and surrounding communities,” said Iampieri. “London has proven to be a fantastic host city with tremendous volunteer and community support, and we can’t thank Jeff, Wayne, Gord and the rest of the legacy committee enough for their efforts in ensuring the 2018 edition of the Gala & Golf event was our most successful to date.” 

The Hockey Canada Foundation and representatives from the 2018 Gala & Golf legacy committee have also outlined the legacy plan for the event, which will be used to help grow the game of hockey in and around London.

Funds from the $400,000 legacy will be used to assist Hockey Canada programs that introduce children of all backgrounds and circumstances the opportunity to experience hockey. The fund will provide financial assistance to families demonstrating need whose children’s passion for the game was fueled through the Canadian Tire First Shift and Try Hockey programs so they can pursue the game with their local minor hockey association.

The Hockey Canada Foundation, which unveiled its We Play Hockey for Life tagline at the 2017 Gala & Golf in Saskatoon, Sask., has a mandate to grow the game at the grassroots level across Canada. The Foundation has raised over $4 million through Gala & Golf events alone since 2004.

For more information on the Hockey Canada Foundation, please visit HockeyCanada.ca/Foundation.