While watching the home team overcome a deficit and clinch a win was an exciting experience, seeing kids’ reactions to being included in the recent fundraising event for Five Counties Children’s Centre hosted by the Peterborough Petes made an even bigger impression on Bill Eekhof.
The Five Counties spokesperson joined young clients, families, and staff of the regional children’s treatment centre on Family Day (February 17) for the “Next Gen Game” with the Petes at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.
The highly anticipated annual event held in partnership with the Petes offered Five Counties’ kids and families the opportunity to enjoy and take part in different aspects of the Ontario Hockey League game experience.
The event was really a hat trick considering the fun had by attendees, the Petes’ 5-3 victory over the visiting Kitchener Rangers, and the $17,056 raised for Five Counties, which helps kids in the Kawarthas region who have physical, communication, and developmental needs.
“It was an electric game, and not just because of the Petes’ comeback win,” Eekhof told kawarthaNOW. “Seeing the smiles on kids’ faces was really something … whether those getting their faces painted, those building towers out of giant LEGO, those getting a high-five from the Petes’ mascot, Roger, or the centre’s clients who took on a role for the game.”
“For instance, Kelton — one of our Five Counties’ clients — was thrilled to see his design on hundreds of mini-sticks produced for the game. There was Bryor, one of our clients selected to be one of the Next Gen kids for the game. His grin was wider than the Peterborough Memorial Centre ice rink as he stood at the bench for the Petes’ pre-game warm-up.”
This year’s game, which was another sellout, saw funds raised through donations, sales, a raffle draw, and corporate sponsorships led by Waste Connections of Canada.
Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties, said it was “a total team effort” that will help reduce wait times for high-demand services like speech therapy and occupational therapy at the Peterborough-based children’s treatment centre.
“The Peterborough Petes are tremendous hosts and, once again, the team, their fans and our Five Counties supporters all provided a huge assist to ensure more children and families in our community get access to the care they need when they need it,” Pepin said in a media release.
“The Next Gen Game puts fun into fundraising, by creating a family-friendly event that not only raises money but also the spirits of attendees.”
And Pepin and Eekhof said that’s especially true for the Five Counties clients who got to enjoy a behind-the-scenes experience with the Petes. Each kid played a role as scout, coach, general manager, or play-by-play announcer and also signed a one-day contract with the Petes.
Nova, a client of Five Counties, and her family members took part in the ceremonial pre-game puck drop.
“The Petes are first-rate hosts in creating the Next Gen opportunity, and we heard many good comments and compliments from the kids and their families about their experiences behind the scenes,” Pepin said.
Even before the game, when the Petes held a news conference to officially introduce the Next Gen Game participants and have them sign one-day contracts with the team, clients were all there smiling and looking forward to the experience, Eekhof added.
“It’s a really big deal for the kids because the Petes make it a big deal, and as Pepin notes, this game is one of the highlights for us every year on the centre’s calendar. It certainly delivered that again this year — and we’re most grateful for the community support and to the Peterborough Petes for being such great hosts,” Eekhof added.
Five Counties provides speech, physio, and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth in the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough, and the City of Kawartha Lakes. The centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, having first opened its doors in Peterborough in 1975.
