Members of the Guelph minor hockey programs are giving back. Players, coaches and parents were at various Zehrs stores on Sunday collecting food and cash donations for the Guelph Food Bank as part of the Coach 4 Food program.
“It’s really important so they can have a nice Christmas, and then we could too and know that we helped somebody in need,” said Cole Armstrong, a pee-wee player collecting donations.
Coach 4 Food started in North Bay in 2005, and expanded to Guelph in 2011. The goal of the program is to eradicate hunger, plus give the kids a better sense of community.
“We've been trying to reinforce the idea that hockey is a lot more than just hockey and that they can give back to the community and help the needy in a real tangible way,” said Jim Price, a coach with Guelph Minor Hockey.
Last year the teams raised over 15,000 pounds of food.
“It’s amazing to see their participation, and their excitement, and their youth and their energy. It’s fantastic,” Tracey Marchesich, with the Guelph Food Bank said.
The team that collects the most food gets to practice with the Guelph Storm.
