Adult hockey players in the valley are getting ready to face off in the annual oldtimer tournament.Pioneer file photo
Pioneer Staff
Theres still time to find your favourite Rollbot and grab a ticket for the dinner, dance and casino night at the Invermere Curling Club on Saturday, August 31st. As part of the annual Oldtimers hockey tournament in Invermere, Saturday nights party will be fun for all in support of local athletic organizations.
In bringing the community together, the Invermere Killer Rollbots roller derby team will be selling $15 tickets to the event, the Columbia Valley Rockies will take part by operating the casino games, while local minor hockey players run the scoreboards during the tournament.
Following the event, the Rockies will be donating bursaries with money raised to deserving students at David Thompson Secondary School, said general manager Ross Bidinger.
Any money we raise as a result of this tournament, we return to the community in some way, shape or form through minor sports, he said.
A roast beef dinner with all the fixings catered by Grants Foods, casino games, and live music by
Cranbrook band Canadian Crossfire will be the main attractions for Saturdays event.
In addition to selling tickets, the Rollbots will be part of the fun on Saturday, explained Rollbot
member Cindy MacKay said. In becoming one of this years sponsors, the Rollbots held Mr. Bidinger to his word from a year ago.
Last year he said the Killer Robots would be a good team to help, because the Rockies like to sponsor local sports teams in the valley, she said. With their benefits from the dinner, dance and casino night, the roller derby girls hope to purchase a training system for the team to use.
Were looking at a parachute system; it straps onto the skaters and creates resistance, she said.
Attendees will have the chance to dance with their favourite Rollbots, which will likely be the best part of their weekend, Ms. MacKay said.
Its going to be a lot of fun, she said. It starts at six and goes until question mark.
To see the girls geared up and in competition, spectators have one last chance, as the Killer Rollbots final game of the season happens on Saturday, September 14th at the Memorial Arena in Cranbrook. The local girls, league champions from last year, will be playing to defend their championship.
Right now, were number two and were going for number one, she said.
To get your sports fix before the roller derby championship, dont miss the live action hockey that happens as part of the Oldtimers Tournament. The games run non-stop beginning at 2:30 p.m. today, Friday,
August 30th, and run until Sunday evening at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.
Having started in the 1980s, the Oldtimer
Tournament has seen some of the same teams return for decades, Mr. Bidinger said.
There will be three local teams in the tournament, which will categorize teams among four divisions based on age. After a round robin tournament decides the top team in each division, the winners are crowned
victorious with the presentation of a t-shirt.
Its a good social, he said. Sometimes it gets a
little chippy when there are some teams that match up quite a bit, but its just all guys having a lot of fun.
Watching the oldtimer hockey tournament is free all weekend. To purchase a ticket for the dinner, dance and casino night, call your favourite Rollbot. If you dont have a favourite Rollbot yet, call Cindy
MacKay at 250-341-5161.
