We “Sleighed” the day at Shine’s first ever para ice hockey tournament, Come to Sleigh! On October 10th 2024, participants teamed up alongside Shine Dreamers and hockey greats like Paralympian Kevin Rempel, Wendel Clark, Darcy Tucker, Mike Krushelnyski, Olympian Geraldine Heaney, and Evanka Osmak from Sportsnet to show their commitment to DEI and accessibility in support of Shine.
Many walked in the front doors as para ice hockey novices. Uncertain, unsteady at first in a sled, and maybe even a little intimidated. With the right equipment and confidence for success, Kevin Rempel and Shine Ambassador Chadd Stoppa, kicked the event off with an incredibly helpful Skills and Drills tutorial. Players were soon sledding across the ice and passing the puck with ease. After two fun games with a lot of excitement and laughs, Team Rempel was crowned the winners of our first-ever Come to Sleigh tournament!
View the photos from this year’s event here:
Para-ice hockey is a sport that demands grit and courage - but everyone showed us that it can be so much more! Players collaborated with each other to embrace the unfamiliar and push themselves outside of their comfort zone. With resilience and determination, they opened their hearts and discovered a newfound love for the sport, a better understanding of para-sports, and turned their mindset from “I can’t” to “I CAN” like our Shine Dreamers do once they have received a Shine Dream .
Shine extends our deepest gratitude to the incredible players, shining fans, and the wonderful sponsors who have made this tournament not only possible but truly unforgettable. Thanks to you, Come to Sleigh raised over $100,000 to make a brighter difference in the lives of young people living with severe physical disabilities. Every pass, every shot, every goal, and every effort made on and off the ice contributed to something far more meaningful than anyone can imagine for these young people: the experience of a life-changing Shine Dream.
Thank you to everyone who has made the first-ever Come to Sleigh event possible. We are excited for an even bigger year in 2025 as we sleigh the ice in Toronto next October plus our new Come to Sleigh cities: Calgary and Vancouver. Stay tuned for more exciting details to come soon.
