HJHL - Lending a Helping Hand During the Holidays

HJHL players are enjoying their Christmas break with family and friends.

But the holiday season can be tough on some people.

So players across the league lent a helping hand before heading home for some rest and relaxation.

The Rocky Rams are playing in their first season in the HJHL, and are making a big impact in their community.

The Rocky Rams are excited about the season and held a teddy bear toss with Santa’s Anonymous for our last home game," says Rams president Ryan Stambaugh. "As well, we are working with them to donate gifts for a few families that may not otherwise have the best of Christmas seasons. 

"They have chosen 10 families that will receive home-game ticket packages, and five families that will receive hockey mini sticks and nets, and one family that will receive a larger street hockey set, from the Rams players. 

"As a new team with a tight budget but huge community support, we want to ensure that we can help make someone’s holiday season just a slight bit better. Moving forward, it will be our goal to work together with members and groups of our community to make it just a little bit better each year!"

Every year, the Strathmore Wheatland Kings organize a Food Bank Drive for the Wheatland County Food Bank. This year, there was 249 pounds of food donated, which was delivered by the entire Kings team. 

The Kings also host a yearly Christmas party for the community where there is face painting, free cookies and hot chocolate, door prizes, and a visit from Santa.

"Local Timbit players also get to scrimmage with some Kings during the intermission," Kings manager Darcy Busslinger says. "At the end of the game, the Kings players come up to visit and sign autographs for their fans, whom the Kings appreciate so very much!"

On Dec. 6, the Cochrane Generals played the Cochrane Firefighters in an exhibition game to raise money for the local Legion. 

Also, Generals players were involved with the local Kiwanis chapter to help families purchase Christmas gifts at Walmart.  Over 100 children will have a Christmas this year thanks to the Kiwanis club. The Generals were also able to help the Cochrane Food Bank deliver new bikes to children in the Cochrane region.

In Coaldale, the Copperheads joined up with the Lethbridge Family Services and hosted a toy collection at their Dec. 7 game for the Angel Tree Campaign.

In Okotoks, a handful of Bisons players worked a Christmas party for one of the team's sponsors, providing the drive-home service.

The Mountain View Colts made a $450 donation to the Veterans Food Bank after participating in two charity events — the Country Christmas in  Didsbury (volunteered at each station helping seniors and children get on and off the wagons; and the Christmas Angels in Didsbury (delivered Christmas hampers — food and presents for those in need).

In Red Deer, the Vipers don't wait for the holidays to get in their charity work.

"We do our charity work in October for Hockey Fights Cancer & we'll do a Food Bank game in either January or February," Vipers general manager Michelle Skilnick says. "That's when our Food Bank has said that shelves are bare around that time, so we’ll save collecting until then."

From all of our players and teams, the HJHL wishes all of you a Merry Christmas!