Teams of Bellerose Composite High School students and teachers went head to head in a Play for Play road hockey tournament on Thursday during school hours.
The good news is that they skipped class for a charitable purpose. Event organizer Adam Girard explained that it was more of a way to raise donations for two causes than simply being a fun competition.
"The whole idea for the tournament was to get students participating in sports while also contributing to help other kids get the opportunity to play sports as well," he said. "I felt very fortunate to be able to play sports all my life. I felt that really helped define who I am as a person. I wanted to find a way to help contribute to giving other kids the same opportunity that I had."
There were more than 70 players on both sides: the teachers as the Honour Roll and the students as the Milkmen, with the students taking the win 2 to 1. Each person had to register with a $10 fee and a donation of at least one piece of sports equipment.
In the end, more than $600 was raised for Jumpstart Canada, which provides for kids to get into sports even if their families can't afford it. The tournament also collected "at least a truckload" of equipment for Sports Central Edmonton, the local organization that then hands it out under the same circumstances.
Dream home
The Big Brothers Big Sisters 37th Dream Home Lottery concluded on Tuesday with Edmonton's Maria Giordano winning the grand prize home worth $1.2 million. No word has yet been announced as to which of the three houses on Elaine Street she chose.
The Win50 Jackpot winner of $491,520 was Carolyn Ka, also of Edmonton.
The lottery helps the BBBS to support and facilitate mentoring programs for more than 5,000 Edmonton-area children. Visit www.bgcbigs.ca for more information.
Artists help the hungry
The St. Albert Painters' Guild made a big impact with their annual Spring Art Show and Sale, held at the end of April. As part of the guild's Canada 150th Anniversary project, its members painted many small canvases to be sold during the event, with all proceeds going to the St. Albert Food Bank. They recently presented the food bank with a cheque for $2,388.
