Brian and Brent Kron have been playing road hockey for as long as they can remember.
“Probably ever since they were old enough to hold a stick,” noted their mother Karen.
The Kron brothers of Maryhill decided this month to invite the community to play with them and alongside friends Travis and Brandon Bauman (both students at Elmira District Secondary School with Brent) have organized a community-wide ball hockey tournament and fundraiser.
The Krons and the Baumans have never attempted to host a fundraiser before, and the task was a large one – the boys have spent the past few weeks organizing insurance plans, printing registration forms, talking to sponsors, organizing food, drinks and a barbeque and collecting items for a raffle.
Players of all ages can register for the tournament and based on preliminary numbers, the organizers expect the tournament to host more than 15 teams of seven players. The boys themselves will all be participating, each on a separate team. The cost to submit a team is $70, or $10 per player.
The money raised by the event will go towards the Maryhill community centre: the guys hope to fund a heated change room near the outdoor rink where they can lace up their skates in the winter.
“We would love to make it an annual event,” said Brian. “Only if it goes well this year, though.”
And from the sounds of it, it is sure to go well. The boys have already secured more than $1,000 in sponsorship and with the funds coming in from registered teams, they hope to reach their goal of $3,000 raised in total.
The day promises to be a good one, even for those not participating in the tournament itself, as the organizers have organized a barbeque as well as a raffle, where prizes such as goalie pads, an autographed hockey stick, a Merryhill Golf Club pass, and memberships to both Pinacle Health and Fitness Centre in Elmira and the Kitchener Kicks club.
The tournament will take place starting bright and early at 8 a.m. on May 8 and 9 at Maryhill Heritage Park. The rain date for the event is the following weekend. The boys are still looking for help with the actual event day and will credit students with volunteer hours if needed.
If you are interested in registering a team for the tournament, or volunteering your time, please contact either Brent or Brian Kron at 519-648-3323.
