A quintessential fundraiser in Cochrane, The Kimmett Cup, has announced the puck will be dropping for the 14th annual pond hockey tournament to honour the memory of Lindsay Kimmett and raise money for Charities around Cochrane on Feb. 10, 2023.
The tournament will take place at Mitford Ponds and the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre. Early bird registration will be available until Dec. 18 for $300, after which team fees will increase to $450.
Lindsay Kimmett was a Cochrane resident and University of Calgary Medical School alumna who passed away as the passenger in a motor vehicle collision in 2008. The yearly pond hockey tournament was created as a way to bring the Cochrane community together, celebrate Kimmett’s legacy, and raise money for various charities.
Since 2009, the Kimmett Cup has raised $1.8 million for charity and become an annual winter celebration in Cochrane.
For the 2023 version of the tournament, the Kimmett Cup plans to raise money for the Cochrane Activettes, Make a Wish Foundation, KidSport, and Helping Families Handle Cancer.
The tournament will accept players of all skill levels from beginners, generational family teams, business and service clubs, and highly competitive entrants.
After two difficult years during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament hopes hockey players will lace up their skates and enter the tournament.
The 2023 tourney will feature four categories this year, including co-ed competitive with playoffs, co-ed recreational with no playoffs, a ‘Fun Division’ with no playoffs, and a new men’s division with playoffs.
Team rosters are usually comprised of six to 10 payers and the games are formatted in a three-versus-three setting. Players in non-playoff divisions get to play a minimum of three games, with teams in playoff divisions required to play five to six games.
Tournament Co-Chair Reid Kimmett said he is looking forward to the friendly competition and looks forward to seeing the community’s hockey players in action at the event.
“I’m definitely excited to have it come up again in a more natural setting and format, rather than what we have had over the last couple of years,” Kimmett said. “I’m excited to see the heart of the event and what it’s all about.”
As a staple of the community, Kimmett said the Kimmett Cup reflects the caring community that Cochrane possesses.
“It started as a way to remember my sister, and the community showed its ability and willingness to care for us and our family,” Kimmett said. “And it has become an annual tradition where we get to see that spirit of Cochrane year after year.”
Carie Stock, Executive Director for Helping Families Handle Cancer, said although they have been involved with the Kimmett Cup in some capacity since 2015, she is excited to take on a more active role in the competition this time.
“We’ve been so lucky to be part of Kimmett Cup,” Stock said. “We feel very honoured to be part of this special event for their daughter.
“It is a great pond hockey tournament, but it’s also in memory of a beautiful young girl who isn’t with them anymore.”
She hopes to see a high turnout in February and see the Cochrane public come together for an event that raises money for a good cause.
“We really want to encourage people to come out and the other charities are great,” Stock said. “What I love about this is, my house is located beside both of the ponds, so every year, I get to walk out, hear the pond hockey, and its great to hear such a wonderful event take place in the community.”
Kimmett and Stock invite anyone who is interested in participating to sign up for the tournament soon. To register for the 2023 Kimmett Cup and to find additional information on the Lindsay Kimmett Memorial Foundation, please visit kimmettcup.com.
