WOLFVILLE - The mere act of winding up for a shot was enough to some send pint-sized players sliding across the ice, but the young athletes were far from deterred.
There was no shortage of heartwarming sights to see as small children peeked out from underneath helmets that, on occasion, slipped down to the bridge of their noses during hot pursuits of the puck.
Thirty-one teams took part in the 13th annual Hannah Miller Memorial Hockey Tournament at Acadia University’s Andrew H. McCain Arena March 11. The initiation-level tournament was open to male and female players between the ages of four and six.
Acadia students studying kinesiology and community development teamed up to organize the event, which serves a as a fundraiser for the Hannah Miller Memorial Fund.
Hannah is fondly remembered as a spirited member of the Acadia Minor Hockey Association (AMHA). She was only seven years old when she was killed in a tragic car accident in her hometown of Port Williams in the spring of 2005.
The annual tournament hosted in Hannah’s honour collects donations for a fund that helps underprivileged AMHA athletes in need of financial assistance, creates opportunities for female hockey development and supports a scholarship awarded to one Acadia student each year.
The organizing committee consisted of students Natasha Johnson, Alison Kinch, Sarah MacDonald and Caitlyn Snippe.
“The tournament is to remember her, and her love for hockey, and to give young athletes an opportunity to play while raising money for the memorial fund,” said Johnson, a third-year community development student and acclaimed varsity rugby player at Acadia.
“This year is one of our biggest years… we have teams from all over Nova Scotia.”
Donations made payable to the Acadia University/Hannah Miller Memorial Fund can be addressed to Kim Vaughan and sent directly to the School of Kinesiology: Box 143, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6.
