West Vancouver Men’s A Team has announced, just 72-hours after the Play It Forward program launched, that they have raised over $1000 for local charities. This has triggered the first official match from program sponsors, and shows that charity is alive and well in the field hockey community.
How are they doing it? The West Vancouver team has decided to donate money to their team’s Chimp giving group, each and every time they win, lose, miss open nets, miss practices or a game, etc. Looking over recent games and practices, they managed to find over $1000 in “fines” payable by the 18-man squad. A few days later, they have raised $1100, and plan on making this a permanent feature on their team.
“Play It Forward is about raising money for charities while having fun on the field,” says New Delhi-bound Mark Pearson. “Each weekend the guys plan to drop money into our Chimp account for things that happen during practice or games. Last weekend I missed a few easy goals, so I Chimped $20. Whatever our total each week, it’s nice knowing all of the money ultimately ends-up with charities we support as a group.”
“The nice thing about Play It Forward is that it highlights the importance of giving back to the community we all live in,” says Scott Tupper. “From the National Team down to the grassroots of our sport, Play It Forward will make ‘giving back’ an important part of sports, which is important. Now we can support the communities that support us.”
To up the ante, the West Vancouver team has also pledged to Chimp larger amounts this month, as four of their teammates head to Delhi in pursuit of Olympic Qualification.
“One guy on our team is Chimping $1000 if we qualify, $10 for every goal we score, and $25 for every win we get in Delhi,” says goalkeeper Antoni Kindler. “I think more guys will jump on-board to help us get to London 2012. I plan on tweeting the team after every single game, to let them know how much money to add to our team’s fund!”
Through the generous support of Western Potash and Discovery Resources, the team can also expect to see the first $1000 they have raised for charity matched by $1000 of sponsorship to their field hockey club to help with expenses.
“We want to give our athletes (whether they’re young or old) opportunities to become better citizens, not just better players,” says Head Coach Paul Wettlaufer. “I hope this program helps to inspire young athletes across the country to learn about and get involved with charity, while playing a sport they love.”
Want to support the National Teams in New Delhi? Join the FHC Alumni & Supporters Group , and add your Chimp pledge for Delhi 2012! All funds raised will be sent to Field Hockey Canada to help fund the National Teams to be as good as they can be.
Interested in learning more about Play It Forward? Get your team or club involved by clicking HERE.
