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NEWS RELEASE
HOCKEY HELPS THE HOMELESS
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Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH) Waterloo Region, proudly presented by CN, is back to host its 11th annual tournament.
On Oct. 25, 2024, 16 teams of hockey players from Waterloo Region and beyond, will lace up with some of Canada’s most respected NHL Alumni and Olympians to raise money that will directly impact homeless men, women and youth in our community. This year, the volunteer committee has set its sights on donating $350,000 to six local beneficiaries that support homelessness in the Waterloo Region.
These organizations include House of Friendship, Starling Community Services, oneROOF Youth Services, Cambridge Shelter Corporation, YW Kitchener-Waterloo, and The Working Centre. These charities will use the funds to support a range of services from emergency shelter and transitional housing to mental health resources, employment, life skills development and crisis support. Over the past 10 years $2.203 million has been raised through the annual tournament and all the additional events the local volunteer committee host.
The funds raised at the annual HHTH Waterloo Region tournament are increasingly important to the shelter network. “Over the last year we have seen a marked increase in women and families experiencing homelessness. When we work with the families we support, we hear stories of families working so hard to try and keep it together to maintain their housing, but we know in Waterloo Region we are experiencing such a housing crisis. And so, without support through fundraisers like Hockey Helps the Homeless, I think many of our organizations would not nearly be able to reach the number of clients that we do,” says Jennifer Breaton, CEO of YW Kitchener-Waterloo.
The tournament will take place on Oct. 25, 2024, at RIM Park in Waterloo. Respected NHL Alumni and Olympians on this year’s roster include Shayne Corson, Gilbert Dionne, Megan Bozek, Shawn Matthias, Raffi Torres, and many more. Spectators are welcome to come out and watch the hockey games, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Also, members of the Waterloo Region community are encouraged to support the tournament by donating to a player, team, or the tournament, or bid in the online auction by visiting wr.hhth.com.
Prior to the hockey tournament on Friday, Oct. 25, there will be a Thursday Draft Night event. Each of the 16 teams will pick their NHL Alumni or Olympian that will play on their team for the day on Friday, and our Impact Speaker will tell their story of homelessness. This year’s speaker is Brady Leavold, a former professional hockey player, when addiction unraveled his life leading to homelessness and more. Now he is a mental health advocate.
Waterloo Region Committee Chair Rob Way when announcing that for an 11th straight year we will be increasing the amount of funds we hope to grant to our Charity Partners stated, “Every year we know that our Charity Partners are facing tremendous increases in demand for their services so each year we ask our players to work a little harder when it comes to securing donations. Each year they answer the bell. I am confident this year will be no different.”
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