A graduate of Brantford minor hockey made a return trip home on Saturday to support the association’s Hockey Fights Cancer fundraiser.
Lucas Karmiris, a forward with the Mississauga Steelheads, was at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Center to cheer on the Brantford 99ers and meet with players.
“This is Hockey Fights Cancer and I played a lot of games here,” Karmiris said. “This is my home arena and it’s really cool that they’re doing something like this.
“It’s fun to be here and it’s my way of showing support.”
Karmiris came to the rink after a Steelheads practice on Saturday and before the team played the Ottawa 67s on Sunday. He donated a hockey stick to the initiative and his appearance was one of the highlights of a day that featured 12 Brantford Minor Hockey Association teams playing games and looking to raise $25,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and Stedman Community Hospice.
The teams wore pink and black uniforms that included the “Hockey Fights Cancer” crest on the shoulder.
The event was started last year by Jordy McGowan as a single game that included the sale of raffle tickets. The event raised $4,000 and this year McGowan, with the backing of the association and support of a committee, led efforts to make the fund-raising event bigger.
This year featured more teams and more prizes including Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Saber and Toronto Raptors tickets up for grabs. The event also featured Wayne Gretzky memorabilia.
“We’ve had a really good day and we’re hoping to make this into an annual event,” McGowan said. “We haven’t finalized the total funds raised but overall, the event was a huge success.”
Hockey Fights Cancer was founded by the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association in 1998 to bring the hockey community together in support of cancer patients and their families.
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