Community Hosts Hockey Day in Battersea

Catherine Reynolds | Feb 08, 2017

Kyle Gordon and Amanda Pantrey are volunteers on a mission.

Finishing each other’s sentences on a cold February evening, the friends laugh as they describe their plans to host a Hockey Day in Battersea on Feb. 18.

“We want people to come-out and watch,” says Gordon about this fun community event.

To be held on the frozen village creek starting at noon, the game involves 10 teams, a DJ, BBQ lunch and full dinner at the Creekside Bar and Grill.

The events is a fundraiser for the Battersea Community Playground Equipment Project.

“A group of Battersea residents have rallied together in a fundraising campaign to get new play structures in the one-and-only park in Battersea,” said Pantrey, 24.

“With little changed over the last 25 years, the park is in great need of a retro-fit. The space is home to countless games on the baseball field, hours of old-fashioned outdoor fun with the family and the annual Battersea Pumpkin Festival. It has earned a facelift.”

Gordon and Pantrey are spearheading fundraising activities in the community. They hope to raise $15,000 with the help of residents and businesses. This amount will double when it is matched by the township.
“We’re hoping to exceed that amount (of $15,000),” says Pantrey optimistically.

Young and passionate, the community activist says the campaign goal will be attainable because new and improved equipment will contribute to the health & wellness of the village; a benefit for everyone.

“It’s for fun and stimulation,” says Pantrey about her goal to replace the outdated equipment at the park. “A big part of being a kid is to play outside.”

The friends are using the 6th Annual Hockey Day in Battersea to launch the playground fundraising campaign.. They hope to raise $3,000 at the event.

“It’s a classic Canadian Day,” says Gordon about the event that falls on Hockey Day in Canada.

Provided with a jersey, lunch and rib buffet dinner, players can register for only $30 by calling 613-353-1102. Bystanders can purchase lunch and draw tickets at the event.

Anxious to replace the playground structures, Pantrey says with a smile, “They’ve been there since I was a kid. They’re ready to be replaced.”

To learn more about the campaign, please contact Amanda Pantrey at 613-353-6653. To make a donation, go to Go Fund Me and search for Battersea Playground Revitalization. For people who prefer to donate in person, general donations will be accepted for the playground equipment campaign at Hockey Day in Battersea. Tax receipts will be issued for every donation over $20.