If you’re a hockey fan in Kelowna, you know who Josh Gorges is: captain of the Rockets when the team won the Memorial Cup in 2004, an undrafted player who emerged as a real leader for the Montreal Canadiens (my favourite NHL team!) before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, and even more important, he’s a really good guy who gives back to his community.
On Sunday, August 7th, Gorges and several of his NHL buddies will be at Immaculata High School on KLO Road for a 4-on-4 Street Hockey Tournament. The purpose of this tournament is to serve as a fundraiser for The St. Joseph Project to build a new elementary school in our beautiful city. The ongoing Masterpiece Campaign is currently looking to raise the final $1.2M in a $4.8M effort for the new school. Gorges is an alumnus of the school, and is lending his star power to boost donations to this very worthy cause. Speaking about his experience at St. Joseph, Gorges says, “You look at the things that got you where you are today; it was because of the people before us who stepped up and helped out.”
If you’re feeling up for some activity on a summer afternoon, you can get together with a group of friends to register for the tournament here. You will get to play a minimum of five games throughout the day, and you never know just who may show up to help your team out as a substitute player. There are some very cool prizes on the line for the winners of the tournament, and there are mini-leagues for children (6-14) and adults.
If you aren’t a player but still want the chance to meet some NHL stars, there will be an autograph session happening from noon until 1pm. Gorges himself will be signing autographs for fans, and he will have a number of his NHL friends with him. Those names have just been released to the public and include: Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens, Brent Seabrook and Jordin Tootoo of the Chicago Blackhawks, Cody Franson of the Sabres, Luke Schenn of the Arizona Coyotes, and Blake Comeau of the Colorado Avalanche.
Fans will be able to buy items at the event (including an awesome collage of all the autograph guests) or they can bring their own items for signing. The cost to meet all of the players attending is a very reasonable twenty dollars, which is an absolute bargain for an autograph and a quick meet & greet with a group of eight star NHL players.
Sports fans can also check out the silent auction that will be running throughout the day. Fans can expect to see autographed jerseys and sticks donated by Gorges and his friends, memorabilia from Players Choice Sports, and much more. There will be some really cool items that people can add to their personal collections, so bid early and bid often!
In addition to the tournament and the autograph session, there will be a number of family-oriented events and activities happening all afternoon. Expect to see a bouncy castle, music on site presented by Sun FM, a hockey shooting challenge presented by tournament sponsor Hyundai, and activities on the large fields at the Immaculata school grounds. There will be concessions on-site brought to you by the Knights of Columbus and snacks from Dairy Queen to help you keep cool on what should be a hot Kelowna afternoon.
All proceeds from this event will be donated to the St. Joseph Project. The event organizers are very grateful for the community’s support, and they will have a booth set up explaining the Masterpiece Campaign, its objective, and how you can donate to support the new school. Says Holly Routley, the campaign’s Development Coordinator, “We are $1.2 million away from our goal. If you would like to consider a gift to the Masterpiece Campaign visit our booth at the tournament and speak to one of our giving specialists, or speak to me directly at (250) 575-6996 or by email at hroutley@cisnd.ca. Together we can help frame the future for Catholic education in Kelowna!”
There are still opportunities for individuals in the community to get involved and support this amazing event; volunteers are needed to assist with the officiating and score keeping for the tournament, as well as helping to cover the family area to ensure that guests have the best possible experience. If you would like to be a part of this event, you can reach out to Vanessa Burma-Mastroianni at vburmama@gmail.com
To learn more about the St. Joseph Project Masterpiece Campaign, please click here.
We look forward to seeing you on August 7th!
Gorges’ former teammate, Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price, will be one of the autograph guests!
