NDCC competes for Kraft Hockeyville

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North Dufferin Community Centre (NDCC) is hoping to score big in the Kraft Hockeyville contest, putting the Honeywood arena on the map while building community engagement and awareness about the cherished facility.

Up until March 2 the community is encouraged to share their stories explaining why their community should be the next Kraft Hockeyville through words, photos, comments and videos. Each engagement earns the campaign a certain number of points, putting it in the running for the finals.

“Story submissions seem to be coming in and they are great,” said Jeanette McFarlane, who is leading the charge. “You get a real feel for the nostalgia when you read some of those submission. Some are very heartfelt. They’re wonderful. If anything, it’s positive messaging in the community about a great place.”

She said NDCC has been the centre of the community for 113 years as being a place to gather, celebrate, play hockey, and take shelter during emergency situations.

“It is our only real community hub,” said McFarlane. “It is the heart of our community.”

Judges will then review the nominations, calculate the total scores, and select the top-four finalists with the highest scores, who then go head-to-head in a round of voting to determine the winner.

The grand prize is $250,000 towards arena upgrades and an opportunity to host an NHL pre- season hockey game. The three other finalists each get $25,000 towards arena upgrades.

More than 600 arenas across Canada have registered for the contest.

For the local community, competing in the Kraft Hockeyville contest coincides with a larger fundraising campaign underway by volunteers who are looking to raise $10 million by 2031 to complete arena renovations in multiple phases.

The arena has a long history of community support, and has produced two NHL players – Bert Wilson and Aaron Downey. In 1948, $91,000 was raised to build a new arena in Honeywood. When it was destroyed by fire in 1965, the community banded together once more to get it rebuilt before the end of that year.

Volunteers are hoping to rally that same level of support for the arena in the form of fundraising, partly through participation in the Hockeyville contest.

“It’s hard work but if we did it once we can do it again,” said McFarlane.

Last year, when the North Dufferin Community Centre was in need of critical repairs to the ice pad, coolant system and roof, Mulmur council agreed to foot the bill after a survey conducted found that 88 per cent of respondents supported spending the money to ensure the ongoing operation of the arena. Since then, a volunteer fundraising campaign has been struck to support future improvements.

“If we don’t have it, there’s nothing,” said McFarlane. “Going back to its roots in 1912, the whole reason they made a rink in the first place was for farm kids as a way for them to come together in the winter to ease the isolation and have something to look forward to.”

She said the local teams provided great hockey and local entertainment. Several players were scouted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, but no one accepted the invitation.

To participate, visit hockeyville.kraftheinz.com.

To learn more about the fundraising campaign, go to www.myhoneywood.ca and My Honeywood on Facebook.

Contributed photo: Hockey moms Teresa Hurst (from left), Heather Priest and Tina Walsh, with the cheer banner Priest made when she was 16. It has been pulled out for many games at the Honeywood arena over the years.

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