(submitted photo/DerrickMelissa Cantre Facebook)

By Nicole Reis

Hockey Fundraiser

Makwa Sahgaiehcan Hockey Fundraiser calls for parental involvement in youth activities

Feb 7, 2020 | 12:26 PM

The Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation Youth and Recreational Hockey Tournament is returning this month to raise funds for the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Youth Hockey Championship in April.

Band Coun. Derrick Cantre, who is organizing the tournament, told meadowlakeNOW he needs parental support to ensure youth have a memorable experience, especially during a sensitive time in the community.

“One of the fundraisers we try to do every year is a hockey tournament and we try to get parents involved by working in the kitchen, time clock, working the door and refereeing if they’re registered,” he said.

In previous years, Cantre and his sports and rec partner Sonny Weeseekase took youth to the FSIN hockey championship.

“We try to figure out different ways to help out and fundraise to help parents travel with kids, help with accommodation and meals,” Cantre said. “We just want parents to be involved and help out. We can’t do everything ourselves. We have to start somewhere with helping out our kids.”

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Approximately 60 kids go to the championship and every division novice, atom, bantam, midget, and peewee players are involved. The fundraiser and hockey tournaments are both co-ed.

Costs could be in the $30,000 range to take nearly 60 kids to play hockey in Regina. Cantre expects travel expenses to be higher than previous years.

“We try to tell parents that this is for our kids and we have to start doing things for our kids around our community. We’ve been going through a lot here in our First Nation,” he said. “We were going through a crisis before Christmas and I kind of blame it on us not doing enough youth activities around here and I want to get a head start on this right away,” he said.

Cantre emphasized the importance of getting parents involved in youth activities and for parents to know what it takes to make a successful fundraiser.

“We want everybody to work for it. We can always give free funding without doing anything,” he said.

The deadline to register for the Feb. 21 to 23 tournament is Feb. 17.

Additional information or volunteer inquiries can be made by calling Derrick Cantre at (306)-837-7594 or Sonny Weeseekase at (306)304-0990.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722