With NHL training camps opening up later this month, Canada’s game will be top of mind once again – that is if it isn’t already! Hockey is stitched into the very fabric of our country.
Here in our community, hitting the ice and lacing up the skates means Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am. More than just a chance to stickhandle against the former pros, this event raises money for Baycrest, a leader in research, education and care for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am is one of my favourite events of the year and one I circle on my calendar. This past year, in the 10th annual tournament, funds raised from the two-day event reached $2 million, bringing the decade total to $27 million.
Funds raised enable the Baycrest Foundation to support:
- A continuum of care for aging patients
- Clinics, counselling, support groups and educational sessions focused on mitigating the impact of age-related illness and impairment
- Unmatched global knowledge exchange and research on brain health and aging
In addition, Baycrest scientists are helping NHL Alumni and everyday sports enthusiasts with their landmark Brain Health Study on former professional hockey players, focusing on the long-term effects of concussions and other factors that affect brain aging.
Why am I bringing this up now? Hockey season is a long and grueling process. But so is a life with cognitive decline. Canadians are passionate about the NHL season and I’m passionate about helping the doctors, scientists and researchers at Baycrest to “Stick it to Alzheimer’s”.
As training camps begin across the country, it’s now time to start thinking about springtime (playoff) hockey, which is when the 11th Annual Scotiabank Baycrest Pro-Am will take place. Get in shape, get a team together and fulfill that dream of playing with a former NHLer. But most importantly, get informed about what the Baycrest Foundation is doing and get fundraising for the Pro-Am.
See you on the ice!