On April 5th, men and women from the Montreal area will gather together for a one-day fantasy hockey tournament to raise awareness and financial aid in support of the city’s homeless. This year marks the 15th consecutive year that the tournament has visited the city, uniting a passion for hockey and helping Montreal’s most needy to raise funds that will support 15 local homeless agency partners.
From its humble beginnings, Hockey Helps the Homeless (HHTH), proudly presented by Freedom 55 Financial has leveraged Canadians affinity for the sport of hockey to bring pros and hockey enthusiasts together for a common cause – ending homelessness in Canada. In 1996, an idea was birthed amongst a group of passionate young professionals who saw an opportunity to turn a small corporate tournament into a fundraiser for those in need. The inaugural tournament, then called Hockey for the Homeless would raise just over $8,000.
Today, HHTH has coast to coast impact across Canada, partnering with over 200 NHL Alumni and Olympic gold medalists and hosting 16 Pro-Am and Collegiate tournaments. HHTH has raised over $15 million to-date, supporting more than 45 local homeless and at-risk youth charity partners across Canada. The Montreal Tournament continues as one of the largest HHTH tournaments held across Canada with more than 300 dedicated participants and volunteers and over $2 million raised since its inception in 2004.
At Hockey Helps the Homeless, we believe that every Canadian should have a safe place to call home and the supports they need to thrive, said Ryan Baillie, Executive Director, Hockey Helps the Homeless. Our Pro-Am hockey tournaments allow local players to rub elbows with some of the most admired Canadian hockey professionals, and raise funds that make a direct impact in their own community. We’re thrilled to partner with community leaders and over 100 local volunteers in support of the 15th annual HHTH Montreal Tournament.
Last year, thanks to the generosity and dedication of the Montreal community, HHTH granted $376,000 to 15 local beneficiaries including Old Brewery Mission, Dans la Rue, Anne’s House, and Mission Mile End, with funds supporting projects such as meal delivery programs, furniture purchases for shelters, psychological support and staff hiring at shelters, transportation and more. Montreal’s Hockey Helps the Homeless committee has set its sights on exceeding fundraising targets once again in 2019, with the goal of reaching more of Montreal’s most vulnerable.
The Montreal tournament will take place on Friday, April 5, 2019 at Sportplexe Pierrefonds arena. Players will lace up with respected NHL Alumni and Olympic gold medalists including: Patrice Brisebois, Vincent Damphousse, Shayne Corson and Kim St-Pierre.
To find out more about the HHTH Montreal Tournament, please visit: www.hhth.com/tournaments
