Scheduling conflict has Bantams in fundraising mode

Fundraising is a season-long event for any age level in the Whitehorse Mustangs' program.

Fundraising is a season-long event for any age level in the Whitehorse Mustangs’ program.

There are always high costs involved when travelling to outside tournaments as well as bringing out-of-territory teams to Whitehorse, but an early start to the 2008 provincials has the Whitehorse Bantam Mustangs scrambling to raise the additional costs needed to make it to the season ending tournament.

The problem is a result of both the provincials and Arctic Winter Games being so closely scheduled in March. The gold medal game for hockey at the Arctic Winter Games in the Bantam age group is on a Friday from 3-5:30 p.m., while the team’s provincials is set to begin the following day. The team’s goal is to be playing for the gold medal at the Games.

Normally the provincials fall on a Sunday, which gives the Bantam team an extra travel day during Arctic Winter Games years.

This year the team may have to take a direct charter flight from Yellowknife, the host city for the Games, to Kelowna B.C., which is close to the provincials’ host city, Summerland, B.C.

“The ideal situation is to get there for Friday by raising enough money for a chartered flight,“ said Sue Stephens, fundraising convener for the Whitehorse Bantam Mustangs. “So we are fundraising big time to try and offset some of the cost.“

One of the advantages for the chartered flight is that it would fly the team directly to Kelowna for Friday night, instead of having to stop over in Edmonton, which would delay them getting to Summerland until Saturday afternoon.

Stephens thinks that she will have to reserve a chartered flight by the end of this coming weekend, which will cost around $24,000. So far the team has raised $3,000.

The Bantams found out about the early start for the provincials around a week-and-a-half ago after the B.C. Amateur Hockey Association released the tournaments schedule.

Since then the team has been in full fundraising mode, trying to generate as much funds as they can before both events begin in March.

The Bantams will be preparing for their upcoming series against the Northwest Territories on Feb. 15-17.

The team is also selling Mustang for Mustangs tickets for a 2008 Ford Mustang (license number 2007-100.) There is a total of 3,000 Mustang tickets being sold for $20 each, which can be purchased at Whitehorse Motors or at the Canada Games Centre when the team plays the NWT. The draw date for the car will be on March 1 at 2 p.m.

The tickets benefit all three Mustang teams in their trips to the provincials.

Other fundraising initiatives will include a silent auction and other draws, which will begin on Feb. 15 at the Canada Games Centre. The auction is open to anyone and will run until Feb. 17.

Bantam players and parents will also be bagging groceries at the Real Canadian Superstore and Extra Foods on the weekend in an attempt to raise additional funds.

Stephens said one of the main concerns is the Bantams playing too many games in a short period of time before the provincials.

“This is a big issue for the kids,“ she said. “The best for the kids is the charter so they can get some rest before their first hockey game at the provincials and that is the ideal option.“ Stephens said they have no choice but to be optimistic about being able to raise the money.

“We are fortunate because we get to go on these provincials and it is something they work for all year,“ she said.

The team has not ruled out taking a regular flight, but at the moment is favouring the charter option for transportation. Provincials start on the Saturday morning, so there is a possibility that the Mustangs might miss their first game if they are scheduled to play that early.

For more information about upcoming events call Cindy Underhill, office administrator for the WMHA and YAHA at 393-4501.