If you’re planning to attend the match between the CFCW Critters and Barrhead RCMP this Thursday, Jan. 24, you may want to arrive at the Barrhead Agrena a few minutes early to check out the wide array of silent auction items and a handful of pre-game activities.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for the event, which is a fundraiser for the Barrhead Victim Services Unit (VSU).
Heidi Magus, program manager for the Barrhead VSU, said that quite a few items have come in for the silent auction, which will be set up in the lobby of the Agrena.
Some of the more high-value items include a pendant worth $350, which has been donated by JS Jewellery Ltd; a jersey belonging to Edmonton Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid; and a picture of the “Battle of Alberta” from the 1980s, signed by Dave Semenko of the Oilers and Tim Hunter of the Calgary Flames.
“There’s quite a few good things for the auction,” Magus said.
Besides the auction, there are also a few pre-game activities, including a “hockey tape ball” guessing game put on by Rose Garden Chapel.
For $1 per guess, people can try to estimate how many metres of hockey tape make up a large ball that has been rolled up by the funeral home personnel. If their guess is correct, they win a 32-inch Panasonic TV, Magus said.
Sanderman’s Home Hardware is also hosting a “Loonie on the Stick” contest where people pay $2, with one dollar going to the Barrhead VSU and the other being taped to the stick.
Later, a draw will be held to determine who wins both the brand new hockey stick and all the money that is taped to it, she said.
Finally, the Barrhead Elks will be hosting a “Shooter Tutor” contest where people can try to shoot a puck through five holes on a Shooter Tutor mat. If they are successful, their name goes into a draw for a cash prize.
Of course, all these activities are just a prelude to the main event, which will see the CFCW Critters take on a team composed of past and present Barrhead RCMP officers at 7 p.m.
Anyone who’s lived in Alberta for any length of time will have heard of the CFCW Critters, who were first formed in 1993 and have taken part in dozens of fundraisers for non-profit organizations.
Although the team has been in Barrhead before — the Critters visited Barrhead in 2011 for a fundraiser to benefit the Blue Heron Support Services Centre — Magus said this is the first time they have hosted the Critters as a fundraiser for the Barrhead VSU.
“Another Victims Services’ Unit had hosted the Critters for a fundraiser and they had very good response from the community,” she said.
“This is something new. Everybody’s fundraising; we thought we would try something new in town.”
In addition to the pre-game activities and silent auction, the Barrhead VSU will benefit from ticket sales and the proceeds of a 50/50 draw during the game.
Tickets for the game cost just $5 per person, as the Critters would like the event to be as accessible as possible, Magus noted.
While tickets will be available at the doors, you can also purchase them beforehand at the Barrhead RCMP Detachment, Sanderman’s Home Hardware, Barb’s Sewing & Fabrics and The Flower Shoppe.
Magus noted that Barrhead residents should check out the Barrhead VSU’s Instagram and Facebook pages, as they will be previewing the event and talking about some of the items that will be up for auction.
