Hockey players exchanged skates for running shoes at the fifth annual Epic Mini-sticks Tourney.
About 65 teams competed in the mini-sticks tournament on Saturday. Children between the ages of seven and 12 scrambled and cheered at the tournament held in the gym at the former Port Arthur Collegiate Institute high school.
Each year the organizers of the tournament sponsor a hockey team. This year they sponsored the West End Bruins Midget A Team.
Bruce Miault, one of the organizers of the event, said he and two other fathers started the tournament because they wanted to raise money for their sons’ hockey team. Since the tournament began, their sons have moved on to help run the tournament.
“When we did it the first year it was just a fundraiser for our team to go on a hockey tournament,” Miault said. “The interest has become so big that it has become an annual event. We also donate to other charities of the years such as the Boys and Girls Club.”
With the law school expected to start classes in 2013, Miault said they would move the venue if they had to and didn’t expect it to be a problem as long as there was an interest to continue having the tournament.
Tim Dunnink, 9, a Grade 4 student at C.D. Howe Public School said it was his first time at the tournament. He said he wanted to try it and see how fun it was.
Tim, who played in goal, said the referee needed to keep his eyes on the game but overall thought the mini-sticks tournament was a fun time.
“I like hockey a lot and I really wanted to try a mini-stick tournament,” Tim said.
