Charity hockey game supports Sackville Food Bank and Sackville Minor Hockey

An afternoon of activities, fundraisers and entertainment

The Town of Sackville and the Tantramar student council hosted the third annual Town vs. Gown charity hockey game at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre on Feb. 24. Team Town consisted of town staff, emergency personnel and local business representatives. Team Gown was made up of Mount Allison students, staff, faculty and alumni. The exciting match received a large turnout of approximately 150 viewers, which the town hopes to double next year.

The focus of the event was not only on the game itself, but the fundraisers and activities that came with it. Face painting and science experiments entertained and educated Sackville’s youth while the adults supported the fundraisers and the cheered for the matchup.

The charity event featured a food drive for the Sackville Food Bank, as well as a 50/50 raffle ticket sale for Sackville minor hockey. “The town spends a lot of time organizing these sort of events,” said Heather Patterson, the president of the food bank. “People showed up here with armfuls of food. It’s really amazing and truly overwhelming. Matt Pryde, manager of recreation programs and events, organizes these types of events and the food bank is very grateful.”

“I was really anticipating the matchup of teams this year,” said Tim Reiffenstein, a geography professor at Mt. A. “I’ve played in the game the past two years, and to be able to play with people with so much talent is really something. It’s fun hockey, especially playing with people who I wouldn’t normally play with.”

This year’s match began with a goal for Team Gown, quickly followed by a goal for Team Town, making the score 1-1. The first period ended with a 2-1 lead for Team Gown. During the intermission following the first period, town representatives and Tantramar student council members entertained the crowd with a sledge hockey race.

As the game progressed, so did the anticipation for the final outcome. The game remained neck-and-neck for much of its duration with goals bouncing back and forth from team to team. Team Town scored four consecutive goals throughout the second and third period, moving into the end of the game with a lead of 5-3. Team Gown got in one last goal before the game ended, making the final score 5-4 for Team Town.

The Sackville Minor Hockey Association, along with Matt Pryde, is also hosting the second annual Glow Ball Golf Tournament on May 31 at the Sackville Golf and Country Club.

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