Ronald McDonald Hockey Tournie Planned for Bonnyville

Ronald McDonald House Charities chooses a signature event for Bonnyville

You’ll be seeing a lot of stripped socks at the rink over Family Day weekend in 2017, as the Ronald McDonald House Charities Bonnyville committee has chosen a hockey tournament as their signature event for town. Committee member and Councillor for the Town of Bonnyville, Jim Cheverie reports what’s really exciting is the committee has decided to include Glendon in the fun.

“We need three rinks and since [Bonnyville] only has two, we will be using the Glendon arena too,” confirms Cheverie, who also reports that  all the kids in the tournament will be wearing the signature Ronald McDonald stripped socks as hockey socks. “There will be hockey games in all three arenas, all weekend long, and a banquet at the field house (Centennial Centre) on the Saturday night, for all the kids and their parents.”

“One of the Bonnyville Minor Hockey Association members was at the meeting,” Cheverie says the second Bonnyville planning committee meeting was held on Monday and explains how the decision to host a hockey tournament came about. “That member had a family member who had stayed at the Ronald McDonald House a few years ago.”

The hockey tournament is planned for either Atom or Novice aged players, that’ll be decided over the next couple weeks by Bonnyville Minor Hockey (whichever age category’s schedule best permits a tournament over February 18-20). “Apparently, there are so many Atom and Novice hockey teams [in the general area], that they just don’t have the tournaments. So Ronald McDonald House, with Bonnyville Minor Hockey, want to have this together. It’s going to be a complete weekend event.”

Along with the hockey tournament in Bonnyville, Ronald McDonald House Charities has teamed up with the Bonnyville & District Chamber of Commerce to join forces on the Chamber’s golf tournament in September. “The Chamber vote unanimously to join up with Ronald McDonald House,” reports Cheverie. “That is going to be a partnership starting this year.”

Ronald McDonald House also hosts a golf tournament, run/walk and curling event in Cold Lake.