CHESTERMERE – On Feb. 27, most of the players that will be part of the Hockey Marathon this May hit the ice at the Chestermere Recreation Centre for a four hour, nonstop game. A crew was also on hand to shoot a commercial, which will be online in a few weeks to help promote the event.
The marathon game, which has been organized by Chestermere resident Alex Halat, will attempt to break the Guinness record for the longest game, as well as raise funds for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
The game is all in honor of Diamond Marshall, the daughter of Halat’s close friend, Lyall, who will also be participating in the game.
Halat said that the Monday ice slot was a good way to show the guys how a typical shift might be during the actual game, which will take place from May 6 to 16, 2012.
He said that everything has been coming together smoothly, with the team roster filling up immediately, almost all of the volunteer positions being claimed, and with fundraising dollars already coming in.
“We’re at about $200,000 raised now,” Halat said. “I spoke with the Edmonton guys who hosted this February, and we’re way ahead of where they were around this time, so they’re rooting us on.”
Halat said that they still have lots of fundraising efforts planned before the actual game in order to get them closer to their goal of $1.5-million.
“I think that goal is attainable,” he said. “Where we’re sitting right now, if everyone in Calgary went online and donated a dollar, we would hit our goal.
“What we’re asking for is simple, one dollar and some support for these guys who will be playing for ten-and-a-half days. It’s not easy playing for that long, it’s tough.”
Although he admits that the seemingly endless amount of hockey during the game will be physically tough on the players, Halat said it’s nothing compared to what kids fighting cancer have to endure.
“It’s gonna hurt, but the pain that our guys are going to have to go through in those 10-and-a-half days, is minimal compared to what a child goes through during chemotherapy,” he said. “It’s a minor sacrifice that anyone can make to help a kid who is suffering from this awful disease.”
Volunteers are still needed to help make the Worlds Longest Hockey game a success. There are still slots open for referees, scorekeepers, and statisticians. To get involved or to donate, e-mail hockeymarathon2012@yahoo.com, or contact Alex Halat at 403-874-7098.
More details can be found online at www.hockeymarathon.com.
