Hockey Alberta announced Monday that the organization will be receiving a $25,000 grant from RBC’s Play Hockey Initiative to fund "The Girls Game" Hockey Festival, April 15-17, 2011 in Alberta’s Capital Region. This is a partnership with RBC, Hockey Canada, Hockey Edmonton and the Edmonton Girls Hockey Association.
“This is an excellent opportunity to put the female game on display around the most prominent national female championship, the Esso Cup,” said Hockey Alberta General Manager, Rob Litwinski. “We are very excited about this event and we thank RBC for providing us with this opportunity.”
“RBC Play Hockey enables us to reach more people, more communities and more volunteers than ever before to encourage hockey at all levels,” said Gord Nixon, president and CEO, RBC. “From ponds to podiums, RBC is proud to support the hard work and dedication that helps hockey happen.”
The three-day festival will feature a variety of events including a Novice “Try Hockey” Jamboree, Atom and Peewee Skills Camp run by Olympic Gold Medalist Carla MacLeod, Team Alberta Challenge Zone Camp Tryouts, Intro to Coach clinic, community festival and the Esso Cup Midget AAA National Female Championship.
Over the past seven years, RBC has awarded more than $700,000 to grassroots hockey activities across Canada. To expand on this tradition, RBC Play Hockey will award $1,000,000 in grants over the next year, to shine the spotlight on the people and programs that help hockey happen in communities across North America.
“Without skates to tie, volunteers to teach, coaches to inspire and ice to skate on the game of hockey simply would not happen,” added Nixon. “Hockey is bigger than any person or business. It is something that ties communities together and through RBC Play Hockey, we will fund projects that keep hockey growing and vibrant.”
“RBC knows and understands the impact and importance of our game," said Bob Nicholson, president and CEO of Hockey Canada. "The RBC Play Hockey program will help acknowledge the efforts of the unsung heroes who make hockey happen in big cities and small towns all across the country.”
RBC has recruited a group of ambassadors to help with the program nationally including Steve Yzerman, Steven Stamkos, Carla MacLeod, Meaghan Mikkelson and Greg Westlake.
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