Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Hockey Canada pledges to donate portion of World Juniors 50/50 draw proceeds to the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation to support child and adolescent mental health

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EDMONTON, AB—Today, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and Hockey Canada are celebrating a new partnership just in time for the holiday season. As part of the agreement, Hockey Canada has graciously named the Foundation as the presenting sponsor of the IIHF World Juniors 2022 50/50 draw occurring December 17 – 23, 2021.

As a result, the Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds from the week-long draw period at the start of the tournament, designating the funds for the hospital’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (CAMH). 2020 was the very first time in World Juniors history that the 50/50 draw went online, which has been helpful in expanding the draw’s reach and accessibility—last year the draw’s total jackpot reached the $7.5 M mark just before the New Year. 

Both organizations shared their gratitude and excitement for the new partnership, as well as the driving forces behind those sentiments. For Hockey Canada, the draw gives fans all across Alberta and Canada a chance to win big, while also building upon the financial legacy that Hockey Canada leaves for grassroots hockey across the province. It also allows the organization to support crucial work from the likes of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and other community-minded groups.

“We are so excited to be able to partner with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation on the first World Juniors 50/50 draw,” said Riley Wiwchar, executive director of the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship.

“The work the Foundation does in central and northern Alberta is so valuable to so many families, and to be able to make this donation to help the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit is something we are honoured and proud to do.”

Members from the Royal Alex Hospital Foundation are particularly excited about the strength this will impart upon the hospital’s steadily growing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (CAMH), a unit that has come under incredible strain with many mental health conditions exacerbated due to COVID-19. Despite this, the unit still succeeds in servicing 400+ families each year.

The Royal Alex’s CAMH provides both urgent in-patient care and follow up treatment for children and youth ages five to 18, with highly trained staff providing trauma-informed, family-centered care for those who require emergency/urgent care, crisis stabilization, assessment, and short- and, at times, long-term treatment. The unit covers a wide geographic area ranging from Central Alberta and far north, up to and including the Northwest Territories.

“This is a unit of such an unspoken importance that has been forced to shoulder an even heavier burden as of late—pushed to capacity by the pandemic—that we must do as much as we can to support it. To have an organization like Hockey Canada that is so near and dear to the hearts of Canadians stand up and make this commitment for our youth and for our families is just an unbelievably powerful gesture and we couldn’t be more grateful,” said Sharlene Rutherford, President and CEO of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation.

The funds raised through this partnership will allow the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit to make much-needed purchases to continue to improve the program and the care it provides, with a major focus on the patient experience.

These new planned improvements—such as the creation of a dedicated play space for younger children, as well as the purchase of workout/fitness equipment and kid-friendly furniture—will aid in advancing one-to-one care, and ultimately facilitating more patients along their journey to the best possible health outcomes.

Hockey Canada and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation invite you to cheer on Team Canada in the IIHF World Juniors Championship 2022 and play the 50/50 to support fellow Albertans and have a chance to win big.

Tickets and information available by visiting www.hockeycanada.ca/5050.

 

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For media inquiries or more information, please contact:

Lindsay Robertson
Director of Communications, Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation
Email: LRobertson@royalalex.org | Phone: 780-217-2613

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications, Hockey Canada
Email SSharkey@hockeycanada.ca | Phone: 905-906-5327

About the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Established in 1984, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation is committed to supporting improved healthcare outcomes for the hundreds of thousands of people who seek treatment at the Royal Alexandra Hospital every year. The Foundation funds ground-breaking education, cutting-edge research, next-generation technologies and facility enhancements. It also supports a growing number of specialized centres of healthcare excellence located at the Royal Alexandra Hospital campus, including the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, the CK Hui Heart Centre, the Orthopedic Surgery Centre and the Eye Institute of Alberta.

Stay up to date with RAHF news at royalalex.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @RAHFoundation

 

About Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada is the national governing body for grassroots hockey in the country. The organization works in conjunction with the 13 member branches, the Canadian Hockey League and U Sports in growing the game at all levels. Hockey Canada oversees the management of programs in Canada from entry-level to high performance teams and competitions, including world championships and the Olympic Winter Games. Hockey Canada is also Canada’s voice within the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada has offices in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto, and operates regional centres in Ontario and Quebec.

For more information on Hockey Canada, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and by using #OurGameIsBack.