The Hockey Marathon for the Kids is supporting children fighting cancer.
The puck will drop on April 5, 2024, at the Chestermere Recreation Centre, as 40 players challenge the Guinness World Record for the longest hockey game until April 16.
“This past year has made all of us so much more aware of the fact that to fight viruses and life-threatening diseases, we need the best healthcare resources and the best science,” said lead event organizer Alex Halat. “We wish kids didn’t get cancer. But they do and they need us. We think Calgary and Chestermere and the surrounding area is ready to make this the biggest fundraiser yet.”
Chestermere previously set the world record for the longest hockey game in 2012, 2014, and again in 2022, raising nearly $4 million for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Players will skate for more than 262 consecutive hours to set the new record, a Hockey Marathon for the Kids press release said.
“It will be an ultimate battle, all to benefit children and their families in our community,” the release said.
Photo/Facebook
The funds raised through the hockey marathon will be used to support clinical trials, and novel therapies to improve the outcomes of treating the disease.
The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Experimental and Novel Therapies (PHOENIX) program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital is working to make new treatments possible for children.
“With a goal to double the number of clinical trials available, the PHOENIX team envisions a future in which every eligible child coming through the doors of the Alberta Children’s Hospital with hard-to-treat cancers and blood disorders is enrolled in a clinical trial or treatment with a novel therapy, offering them hope for a better future,” the release said.
“We are so grateful to our community and big-hearted people who go to truly extraordinary lengths to help children with cancer. Just like we cheer for these kids and families facing a cancer diagnosis, we will be cheering these incredible Hockey Marathon players every step of the way,” said Saifa Koonar, President, and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.
For additional information and updates about the event, visit the Hockey Marathon for the Kids website.
