Winter is well on its way and with it, comes hockey season. Not every child who wants to play can strap on a pair of skates and join the minor hockey league, however.

Enter the Woolwich Thrashers, a sledge hockey team catering to kids who want to get ice time, but who may have physical or developmental disabilities that change the way they play the game.

The sport is an expensive one to play, and the Elmira’s Bank of Montreal branch has lent a helping hand, purchasing a new sledge and sticks for the team to use. On Oct. 29, Thrashers player Daniel Peters hit the ice on the newly acquired equipment.

Sandy Metzger works with the team, and she says the team wouldn’t be able to expand without help from local organizations like BMO.

“It is a constant issue, purchasing sledges. They are expensive – around $900 for a sledge and a pair of sticks,” she said, adding that the price can go up to nearly $1,500 for customized equipment. “Maybe it needs a higher back, a head rest or a push rod.”

The team plans ahead for maybe one or two new players every season, but this year, the Thrashers had unprecedented interest.

“We had a need for five new people who joined us this year. That is a lot of new sledges that we had to scramble and find,” said Metzger. “It was like, ‘wait a minute, where did this come from?’ We always try to raise as much money as we can through outside organizations that support us, like the Maple Syrup Festival and things like that. When BMO said we were going to be a charity of choice, we jumped at the chance.”

Rachel McKay was on hand at the Woolwich Memorial Centre for the unveiling of the new sledge last Saturday, and she says it is important for local businesses to make themselves available and a part of a bigger community.

“We want to let people know that we aren’t just a bank, but that we are out there to support the community, especially locally, making an impact on the people that we work with and just show that we care,” she said. “This is something that can be difficult to raise money for and it is a very expensive sport to play that maybe not all families can afford. If it is something that we can do to contribute to help the kids who maybe need a little bit more support, then we are happy to do it.”

Metzger says the sport is more than just getting a group of kids some ice time. It is about improving the players’ quality of life.

“It isn’t just for the players, but for the families too. Everyone has a chance to interact and share ideas. The kids are developing skills, getting physically fit and it is a chance to be part of a team,” she said. “Physiotherapists and occupational therapists, they love when the kids play sports because they are getting those exercises in without even knowing they are doing it, and of course, having fun.”

The team plays on the McLeod ice pad at the WMC on Saturday afternoons. For more information, visit their website at www.woolwichsledgehockey.com.