Members of Edmonton’s University Ringette Team received scholarships totaling $50,000.
Tomorrow night, the team will be bestowed an honour that is priceless.
The University Ringette Team, champions of the community and ace students who just happen to be three-time defending national champions, are being given an Award of Distinction from the City of Edmonton as part of its Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Winspear Centre on Monday.
The rare and well-deserved honour caps off a couple wonderful days of celebration for the team, who gathered on Saturday at the Derrick Golf and Winter Club, where a record amount of scholarships were awarded to 14 of the team’s student-athletes, who attend either the University of Alberta or MacEwan University.
“100 per cent of the money form that comes from ordinary business owners … they’re very impressed by these girls in terms of the academics and athletics and community stuff and with their cheque book they’re eager to help these girls,” said coach Paul Hotke.
It’s impossible not to be inspired by the members of the team, who in 2013 boasted a combined GPA of 3.5.
“There is no money to be made in a career (playing) ringette, so it’s important for these girls to focus on study,” said Hotke.
The team’s summer camps teach 300 young players annually, and its school visitation program has educated 15,000 children on the importance of athletics and academics. Ringette Scores on Cancer, which began several years ago as a modest event that generated $500, has now raised $450,000 to date for research at the Cross Cancer Institute.
“It kept snowballing,” Hotke marvels of the tournament, which takes place at the West Edmonton Mall Ice Palace every January.
This January, the team captured gold at the Canadian National University Ringette Championships for a third consecutive year – and did so without the services of one of its two goaltenders – who was hospitalized with appendicitis during the championship – and its top scorer, who was sidelined for the season with a broken hand that she sustained before Christmas.
“It’s funny how sometimes when your top player is out … players will all of a sudden step up,” said Hotke.
Comments are closed.