GASKELL CUP SCORES TO WIN
Claire Chambers, 10, shoots in a shootout contest during the seventh annual Gaskell Cup at the Evinrude Centre on Saturday.
Kirk Gaskell may be gone, but many people are still playing on his behalf.
At the Gaskell Cup hockey tournament on Saturday, hundreds of people piled into the Evinrude Centre in Peterborough to participate in the event.
This year’s event is raising money to boost education and prevent concussions.
Last year’s event raised $20,000 for the same cause.
Guest captain and former National Hockey Leage veteran Marc Savard’s career ended in 2010 after mental illness brought on by a concussion.
He and others are fighting to make sure players stay safe and teams are aware of symptoms of concussions so they can be treated early.
Dan Rutherford, a father from Norwood whose 10-year-old son is participating in the tournament, said his son’s team has had to deal with a few concussions but all those players are back on the ice and healthy.
“They’re back playing, with no long-term effects,” Rutherford said.
No one wants or should deal with the negative impacts of a concussion, he added, saying awareness for the illness has increased dramatically over the years.
“You probably had (concussions) and you didn’t even know you had them,” he said.
Rutherford also says his son is having a great time and there’s plenty of events, food and drinks to keep the kids happy.
Matt Bowen is ecstatic with that response.
One of the initial organizers of the Gaskell Cup and a board member, Bowen said he’s proud to see the community come out to support his friend’s memory and aim to end concussions.
“The energy that’s created every year on this day makes it more and more motivating to continue this tournament,” he said. Bowen said the tournament originally started in 2012 to help pay for Gaskell’ treatment for leukemia.
While the cancer would be responsible for his death later that year, Bowen and Gaskell’s other friends would continue to hold the tournament.
Eventually it would become so big it had to be moved indoors. Now six games take place at a time all day and many teams sign up to play.
“Unfortunately, we have to turn away people because of the demand,” Bowen said.
He said he’s thankful for the community’s support in turning the Gaskell Cup into such a successful event and for helping to end the long-term effects of concussions.
“So much money has been raised for so many great causes,” said Gaskell’s wife, Angela Gaskell.
She and her two children attend every year and her daughter now runs a bake sale to raise money for the event.
The amount of people who come out to support her husband, to end concussions or just to play hockey always shocks her, she added.
“Every year I’m overwhelmed and humbled at how strong this community is,” she said.
She also said the tournament provides a positive experience for kids to do something they love while helping others.
And while neither of her kids play hockey they’re both thrilled to help in their own ways.
“It’s such a positive experience for me and my kids,” she says.