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March 23, 2007
Canucks and JCC to meet at General Motors Place
All-star extravaganza promises affordable family fun.
KYLE BERGER
What started as a fun idea to get members of the Jewish Community
Centre of Greater Vancouver's (JCC) hockey players on the same ice
as Vancouver Canuck alumni has turned into a fund-raising event
for a variety of organizations.
Now in its third season, the JCCGV All-Star Hockey Extravaganza,
which took place at Kerrisdale Arena for the first two years, will
take a huge leap to General Motors Place this time around. The game
will take place Sunday, April 1, at 4 p.m.
While proceeds from the event go to the Canucks Alumni Scholarship
Funds and the JCC, various other organizations have been given the
opportunity to use the event as a fund-raiser for themselves. Organizations
like the Beth Israel Youth program and King David High School, as
well has a few local public schools, have been given the opportunity
to sell tickets, with half of those proceeds going back to them.
Special coupons have been made that, once submitted at the door
of GM Place with the purchase of a ticket, keep track of how much
will be returned to the organization.
"This event originated as an opportunity for the JCC's hockey
league to do something for someone else – give back to the
community," said committee member Joe Khalifa. "So to
have the chance to take this event to GM Place and include other
organizations as benefactors is what it's all about."
With the new location, the game promises to bring even more family
entertainment than the past two years. All seats will be in the
club section, Fin, the Canucks' mascot, will visit fans in the stands
and the brand new, state-of-the-art jumbotron will be on display.
As well, there will be live interviews from the team benches, unique
raffle games, prizes and, as usual, a post-game autograph session
featuring the Canucks alumni players.
"This is a really cool opportunity for families to take in
a fun GM Place experience at an affordable price while supporting
a variety of charitable organizations," Khalifa said, "and
with Passover starting the next night, it's an even better chance
to get the kids out of the house for a few hours."
Canucks alumni players like Dave Babych, Gary Valk, Kirk McLean,
Tony Tanti and Richard Brodeur are expected to play with the all-stars
of the JCC league. Babych is the game's honorary chair.
Tickets, $10 each, can be purchased at the JCC in advance or at
GM Place on game day. Entrance is via Gate 10, or take advantage
of the limited free parking available in GM Place. Doors open at
3:30 p.m. For more information, call 604-257-5111.
Kyle Berger is a freelance journalist and graphic designer
living in Richmond.
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