Hockey night still scores big for charities
Julia Turner and Dalton Jacques were only 15 when they each lost their fight with cancer.
Julia died in 2011 from brain cancer, while Dalton died in 2016 from a rare form of bone cancer.
Though their deaths were separated by years, the two are tied together in Welland not only through the annual Julia Turner and Dalton Jacques Hockey Night but through the two families forming a bond.
“No one understands what’s it’s like losing a child to cancer other than someone who has gone through the same thing,” said Paul Turner, Julia’s father from inside Welland Arena Saturday as the seventh annual hockey night got underway.
He said the two families formed a strong connection through the event.
“It’s really nice to have that kind of support … the Jacques family are super people.”
Turner said while the memories of Julia and Dalton live on, what made the day special for him was that Saturday saw a reunion of the original Welland Minor Hockey (WMH) midget squads that played an exhibition game in the first hockey night event back in 2011.
“A lot of the boys were good friends with Julia and that means a lot to our family,” said Turner, adding nearly all of those who played in that first game made it back to Welland to play again.
Turner credited all of the volunteers who keep the event going year after year, especially Linda Falovo-Atkinson.
“She’s one of the driving forces,” he said.
Falovo-Atkinson said the hockey night event is held to honour the community work and good deeds carried out by both Julia and Dalton.
Julia supported the Hope Centre, while Dalton helped bring Christmas to children at Ronald McDonald House in Hamilton.
Falovo-Atkinson said the event first came about after her son, David, came up with the idea of wrapping his midget hockey team’s sticks with purple tape in honour of Julia.
“A couple of us parents thought maybe we could something bigger and it blew up into the event it is now,” she said.
The event was first called the Julia Turner Hockey Night in Welland but when Dalton died in 2016 his name was added on.
“Our first year was huge and so was our fifth (when Dalton’s name was added). We bring in between $3,000 and $4,000 and it’s pretty evenly split between the Hope Centre and Ronald McDonald House.”
Falovo-Atkinson said the hockey night event wouldn’t be possible without volunteers, the community and numerous sponsors, who took care of such things as the purple jerseys for players representing Julia and yellow jerseys for players representing Dalton.
“I want to thank everyone who came out and supported the event,” she said.
The night — it also featured a dinner, raffle table, silent auction and 50-50 draw — wrapped up with a game between two WMH midget teams at 7:30 p.m.
Guests were asked to bring a non-perishable food donation for the Hope Centre food bank or a cash donation in support of Ronald McDonald House.