The Prince Rupert Raiders, women’s hockey team, are fighting to keep financially afloat through the pandemic and have had to get creative to raise funds.
The players need to raise funds for ice time, which has nearly doubled during the pandemic, as well as insurance fees and to cover to cost of the minor hockey players they sponsor each year.
“To keep our team running for next year and have a little money in the bank, we decided to do a fundraiser,” Shareen McDonald, long-time Raiders player, said.
The sport team has pivoted to a new auction event, the “Raiders’ Sweet Super Bowl / V-Day Sunday Bake Sale,” from their annual Carlos Paolinelli Oldtimers Tournament.
Raiders members themselves will be creating and selling specially-made baked goods and tasty treats to the highest bidder to cover the costs of running the team. Donations can be made on the event’s Facebook page by leaving a comment with the highest bid under the product, or products, they most desire. The auction closes at 9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 11.
“When I was a minor, I played with the ladies’ team even though I wasn’t of age and they paid for my ice time. It made it a lot easier and it made me a lot more interested — and that’s why I’ve been there ever since,” Brittany Waite, event organizer said.
It’s a great opportunity for young girls because the Raiders are able to pay for their ice time. They can just come out to play hockey, Waite said.
“Nine times out of 10 times everybody stays,” she said.
Normally the Raiders raise their yearly needs at their annual tournament, but due to the pandemic, it has been cancelled for two years running.
“That’s where we get most of our fundraising from,” Waite said. “It’s our biggest tournament of the year.”
“It’s normally the best tournament of the year. People Call it the second Christmas,” she said.
The weekend event used to bring out up to 10 teams from around the region where they would battle it out and then celebrate with a party that included a seafood broil as well as dancing.
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Norman Galimski | Journalist
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