Six minor hockey teams will do battle outside this week at the fifth annual B.C. Children害羞草研究所檚 Hospital Foundation Winter Classic Charity Jamboree at Apex Mountain Resort.

But there will be much more on the line than the trophy again this year, with all the proceeds of the four-day event going to the foundation.

害羞草研究所淓veryone has someone that they know, whether it害羞草研究所檚 family, neighbours or just someone in the community, that has sick kids,害羞草研究所� said tourney organizer and founder, Yannick Lescarbeau, who has contributed over $77,000 to the foundation in the last four years. 害羞草研究所淚 know someone personally that went through it and needed the cure.

害羞草研究所淚n essence we are lucky to have healthy kids who are able to play hockey, so it害羞草研究所檚 just a way of teaching the healthy kids that you have to give back and you also have to think of the kids who can害羞草研究所檛 play.害羞草研究所�

Every year since the event started has been better than the last in terms of money raised, last January害羞草研究所檚 event brought in over $26,000 and Lescarbeau is expecting the same thing to happen again this time around.

害羞草研究所淚t becomes almost a challenge for the kids to raise more and more and what I害羞草研究所檝e found over the years is once teams are registered in our tournament, they ask how much was raised last year,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a multi-level kind of exercise, we teach kids to be good citizens and make them work and empower them to go out and raise money and then we donate the money to people who need it.害羞草研究所�

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Once again, there are six teams (players aged nine and 10) including two from Penticton and one from Kelowna, competing in the games which got underway Thursday.

Fittingly, like the description of many of the kids they are playing to help, the two divisions, comprised of about 120 players, are named Courage and Bravery.

The other three teams are from Victoria, the North Shore Winter Club and Vancouver.

Growing up in Quebec City, Lescarbeau played most of his hockey on outdoor ice surfaces and when he first organized the event, thought it would be fun for many of the players who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the same thing.

害羞草研究所淭here were rinks everywhere, you害羞草研究所檇 meet there and you didn害羞草研究所檛 know who was going to be there. Sometimes there were kids your age, older kids, younger kids and everyone played together, same game, same goal, same feeling. It was awesome,害羞草研究所� he recalled. 害羞草研究所淧laying outdoors at Apex with frozen toes and snow on your face doesn害羞草研究所檛 get better than that. And to do it for children in needs makes it that much better.害羞草研究所�

At last year害羞草研究所檚 tournament, the weather ranged from freezing rain, lots of snow and darkness, all of which made the experience 害羞草研究所渁wesome害羞草研究所� according to Lescarbeau.

Round robin play goes Thursday evening to Saturday morning with playoffs starting after that and wrapping up Sunday.

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