Cochranites are getting ready for the puck to drop at the town’s premier pond hockey tournament and fundraiser this weekend.
The Kimmett Cup, held every winter to honour the legacy of Lindsay Kimmett and raise money for charities around Cochrane, is coming back to town on Feb. 10 and 11.
The 14th annual competition will take place at the Mitford Ponds and SLS Centre, with 40 teams comprised of more than 300 players eager to hit the ice.
Eight games will take place on Friday evening, followed by games all day on Saturday. In tournament tradition, every player will don Kimmett’s number 25 on their jersey as a way to honour her legacy.
Lindsay Kimmett was a Cochrane resident and University of Calgary medical school alumna who passed away in a motor vehicle collision in 2008. The annual tournament named in her memory brings the Cochrane community together to celebrate her and raise money for various charities.
Since 2009, the Kimmett Cup has raised $1.8 million. This year, the tournament has already raised more than $50,939 as of writing, with the goal of raising $100,000.
An organizer with the event, Kelly Kimmett, said that although he does a lot of heavy lifting getting the event ready every winter, he doesn’t have an official title other than ‘Lindsay’s Dad,’ which he wears very proudly. He looks forwards to the tournament and is happy it has returned post-COVID.
“We had zero teams in 2021, and I think we had 16 last year,” Kelly said. “We’ve more than doubled it this year, so things are coming back [to normal].”
He anticipates that everything is going to turn out great, adding the support from the community and sponsors this year has been outstanding.
Kelly invites anyone who is interested in supporting the tournament to donate, participate in 50/50 draw with a $10,000 prize, or view the online auction, which has over 90 items up for grabs at kimmettcup.com.
Although weather ahead of the event looks promising, Kelly hopes it doesn’t get too warm for those out on the ice.
For first-timers, he said it is truly a spectacle to see the on-ice action at Mitford Ponds.
“There’s tents, players, and hundreds of volunteers,” he said.
In order to truly experience the Kimmett Cup, Kelly said that everyone should take part in the banquet that takes place at 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Cochrane Lions Club Event Centre to wrap up the first day of the tournament.
“That’s where you’ll see the real Kimmett Cup, where you’ll get to hear the stories from our charities, and you’ll get the real ‘why’ of what the Kimmett Cup is,” he said.
Tickets are available for purchase online by searching Kimmett Cup on Eventbrite.ca or for purchase at the door.
With this year’s tournament taking place 15 years after Lindsay’s passing, Kelly said the event is very emotional, and special for him in many ways.
“I’m very proud to be part of Cochrane, and so happy that we live in this area and get the support that we do,” he said.
