The Town of Stonewall is hoping to score a shot at winning the Kraft Hockeyville competition through an upcoming community event — and everyone’s invited!
The annual competition aims to rally people together and help protect the future of hockey in Canada.
The winning community will have the chance to host an NHL pre-season game and will receive $250,000 in arena upgrades. The three runners-up will each receive $25,000 for arena upgrades in their community.
The All-In Stonewall Committee plans to host a special thank-you night during the Stonewall Jets game at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex on Sunday, March 2, which also happens to be the last day of the nomination period. Puck drop is at 8 p.m., and admission will be free since the Town of Stonewall is sponsoring the evening. Adding to the excitement, the Stonewall Jets players will be wearing exclusive All-In jerseys to show their community spirit.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the incredible teamwork and community pride that everyone has shown in support of our Kraft Hockeyville run. This is an event for the community; it’s our way of expressing gratitude to everyone for all the hard work they’ve put into rallying for this year’s Kraft Hockeyville initiative,” said Megan Humeniuk, who is co-chairing the local efforts along with Brett Meilleur.
“It’s not always easy to unify a community around a single cause, but I must say that Stonewall has truly risen to the occasion, and I couldn’t be prouder. The passion and commitment displayed by our residents have been nothing short of inspiring, and we want to show our appreciation for everything they’ve done to support the VMSC.”
The evening promises to be packed with excitement, she added.
“There’s free entry to the Jets game, which is a fantastic perk for our attendees. We’ll also have a 50-50 draw and a chance to win a signed toonie stick (donated by Randy Frykas of the Outdoor Hockey Club),” she said.
“Plus, there will be food and drinks available from Something Beautiful at the canteen, as well as activities for the kiddos to enjoy. It’s going to be a fun-filled evening for everyone.”
If Stonewall wins the contest, then the entire community would benefit from arena enhancements.
“Being able to upgrade our canteen and rink facilities to better suit individuals of all abilities is the ultimate goal of this year’s run for Kraft Hockeyville,” Humeniuk said.
“Especially now that Community Living Interlake is running the canteen, there is a definite need for some functional upgrades — and with Stonewall being such an inclusive community, it would be a dream to have a rink with the same inclusive facilities.”
The Kraft Hockeyville scores are generated by written or video story submissions. Additional rally points can be earned through photos, notes and emojis added to the arena rally page.
The contest’s rally and nomination phase remains open until March 2. Judging takes place from March 3 to 15, and the Top 4 will be announced on March 15. After that, a round of voting runs on April 4 and 5 followed by the winning announcement.
“We are still encouraging the community to help by sharing their stories and photos on our arena page. These posts help us gain rally points, which are crucial in our efforts. Even simply reacting to posts can make a difference,” Humeniuk said.
“So we’re asking everyone to help us spread the word about Stonewall All-In and make this an unforgettable night for our community. We can’t wait to see everyone there.”
Check out Veterans Memorial Sports Complex arena rally page at hockeyville.kraftheinz.com
Additional inspiration can be found on their Instagram page at www.instagram.com/stonewall.hockeyville
