01/20/2026
Brantford Minor Hockey Association is a “community engine” teaching players about service and empathy, says the president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Lifecare Foundation.
Julie Powell is grateful for the financial support Stedman Community Hospice received from the association. But she’s also impressed with how players are learning about the importance of giving back to the community.
“It’s a community engine that has harnessed the passion of business, league players, their families and the community at large to drive philanthropy and make good things happen for organizations like the hospice,” Powell said of the BMHA. “In doing so, they are building leaders and teaching young people that giving to charity is an important component of leadership.”
The foundation is the fundraising arm of the hospice and recently received a $57,000 donation from BMHA’s Hockey Fights Cancer tournament. The donation is the largest the hospice has ever received from a single community event apart from the foundation’s own signature initiatives.
Another $23,000 from the event’s online donations portal went to the Canadian Cancer Society’s area chapter.
Held under the official Hockey Fights Cancer banner, the tournament has raised more than $230,000 for the two charities over the past five years.
Jordy McGowan, one of the event’s original organizers, said seeing the funds go back into the community is what he envisioned when the tournament began five years ago.
“The goal I had when I pitched this to the association was for a 10-year event at $25,000 a year, so $250,000,” McGowan said.
The tournament has averaged more than $40,000 annually for the first five years.
For this year’s tournament, the association worked with the Brantford Bulldogs to increase the event’s social media presence and announced the fund-raising total during a Bulldogs game. The Bulldogs also donated $10,000 to the cause.
The U13 BB 99ers led the way raising $5,460, the highest amount among the 26 participating teams.
Team manager Theresa Gillis said the Hockey Fights Cancer tournament is deeply personal for the team.
“We fundraise year after year in memory of our coach, John ‘JP’ Glaves, who lost his battle with cancer November 5, 2024, and in honour of our former coach and team dad, Jason Shawana, who continues his four-year Stage 4 cancer battle with strength and courage.”
Gillis said Glaves was the kind of coach who made every player feel seen, valued, and capable, leaving a lasting impact that continues to guide the team after his passing.
“His legacy lives on through his son, Henry Glaves, and in the standards, values, and sense of family he built within our locker room,” Gillis said.
“Shawana continues to inspire our players and community through his strength, courage, and unwavering presence. His son, Tavin Shawana, laces up his skates each game with the same heart, resilience, and leadership his dad has always shown, carrying that example onto the ice beside his teammates,” Gillis said.
“Our fundraising is about more than raising dollars. It’s about teaching our players compassion, resilience, and the importance of standing together as a community,” Gillis said. “We skate to honour those we’ve lost, to support those still fighting, and to show our kids that hockey can be a powerful force for good beyond the scoreboard.”
Stedman Community Hospice relies on community support for approximately 50 percent of its annual operating budget making donations like the one received from the association extremely important.
“We are extremely grateful for the funds the tournament has generated for the hospice,” Powell said. “It’s a beautiful example of what a group of motivated individuals can achieve; you just don’t expect them to be so young – it’s wonderful.”
Vball@postmedia.com
