Inspiration

By Chris Dawson
BayToday.ca
Tuesday, November 01, 2011

 

 

 

 

 
The North Bay Food Bank’s single largest fundraiser is back for 2011.

Beginning in early December, Tom Hedican’s Coach4Food program will begin its seventh year, running until Dec 22. Last year, the fundraiser brought in a record 107,969 pounds for the food bank through food drives by participating teams and monetary donations. Every dollar collected equals 1.5 pounds of food.

“It is imperative that teams contact me as soon as possible, as we have had a waiting list the past three years,” said Hedican ,a professional goaltending consultant working with pro teams in Europe.

“I have already had a number of people email me at coach4food@yahoo.ca requesting practices so the schedule will fill up quickly.”

The Coach4Food Program has raised approximately 289,000 pounds in six years and is expanding in Ontario under a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The University of Guelph men’s hockey team in conjunction with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League will run the program there this year as well. In addition, the Brock Badgers of the OUA are committed to running the program this year and Hedican expects another OHL team to announce its participation in the near future.

“We should have two OHL teams and two University teams participate this year.”

The program has also been run by the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

“It will be a lot of fun to watch other cities and see what they can raise for their food banks,” said Hedican.

“North Bay will be extremely hard to beat but I am very honored to have great organizations such as the University of Guelph and Brock University, the Guelph Storm, and soon a second OHL team, join the program. A website is now near completion (coach4food.com) and we hope to have things in place soon whereby people can donate to Coach4food and the North Bay Food Bank directly through the website,” said Hedican.

Coach4Food, whereby Hedican puts local hockey and ringette teams through a series of European professional and NHL skill drills, was inspired by rock star Bruce Springsteen’s work with food banks in Canada and the United States. The practices will continue until Dec. 22 when the grand total will be announced.

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