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Funteam marks 30 years of giving

Drumheller FunTeam marked 30 years of giving back to the community with its annual Christmas tradition.
The first Annual FunTeam- Salvation Army Benefit Game was held in 1994 when 19 players took to the ice for one game to support the Christmas Hamper Program with their food donations. Thirty years later 137 players took to the ice to continue the tradition of giving back to support the 2023 Christmas Hamper Program collecting 621.5 lbs of food with an estimated value of $2,187.86.
Drumheller FunTeam Hockey Club was born to promote a low-cost community sports program that not only taught youth skating and hockey skills but also the values of sportsmanship, fair play, team play, respectfulness and citizenship.
Since its beginning, Drumheller FunTeam has had the support of our Drumheller Community whether it was local businesses or individual citizens lending a helping hand through volunteering or monetary donations so our youth could stay active in sport and play the Canadian game they all love.
In return to promote Citizenship, FunTeam chose to give back to our community via the Annual Benefit Games to help the Salvation Army in recognition of the help & support that they give to all members of our community in need.
On the ice three decades later were Tim Gilroy, Nicholas Sereda and Kyler Sereda who played in the first Benefit Game in 1994. At the 30th Annual event , they each found themselves coaching their sons and daughters! In the stands were Nick and Olga Sereda cheering on their great-grandchildren and their teammates like they did 30 years ago when they were cheering on their grandchildren.
As well over those 30 years, they have not missed making a food donation at each of the 30 annual games to help the cause.

Rise of the Raptors

The Drumheller Hockey Association celebrated their sport, their teams and the community at Rise of the Raptors.
The Drumheller Memorial Arena was a hive of action over the weekend as the association cheered on their team and had a lot of fun.
While there was great action on the ice, there was just as much fun in the stands.
There was a raffle table to support the team and win some great prizes. There was also a progressive 50/50, food specials and a Raptor Rumble special drink.
Included were kids and family activities throughout the day, including a Plinko board and a colouring station.
On the ice, there was some great action with 11 games hosted throughout the weekend.
While the teams celebrated their sport, they also gave back to the community with a Salvation Army Toy Drive to help local families in need.
This is not new to the organization. In previous years the U15 and U18 would undertake the project to help the community. The Toy Drive is now hosted by the entire association and throughout the weekend they collect toys for those in need.

Dynos shine at provincial finals

For the first time in over 15 years, the DVSS Senior Girls Dynos Volleyball team represented the Valley at the 2A provincial finals.
A young Dynos team had a strong season, winning the zone championship by defeating the number four provincially ranked Strathcona Tweedsmuir School and headed to provincials from November 22 to 25 at Ècole St. Joseph School in Whitecourt.
Head Coach Erica Crocker told the Mail it was an amazing experience for the team on and off the court.
“Both Rachel, [assistant coach], and I are extremely happy with how it went. It has been a privilege to coach this program, and this team in particular is so talented,” she said.
On the court, the team was in action on Thursday in the 12-team tournament and finished tied for first in their pool, topping Immanuel Christian High from Lethbridge and Edmonton Christian. The next day, they fell three sets to Sexsmith and then played Onoway to qualify for the quarterfinals.
That victory put them up against Our Lady of Mount Pleasant Royals from Camrose, who were ranked in second place in the province going into the tournament.
“When you play these big teams, a lot of them have many Grade 12 athlete’s that have played for many years together. This team, as well as other higher ranked teams, played a very aggressive game, and that can be intimidating because we haven’t seen many teams like that,” said Crocker. “We ended up in the quarterfinals against the second-ranked team in the province, … and we put up a pretty good fight.”
Despite their best efforts, they fell to the Royals in two games. They went on to face Christian High from Lethbridge again. This time they fell in two sets.
The Dynos closed out the tournament by playing the host school and won seventh overall.
Crocker explains the Dynos were ranked sixth in the province going into the tournament, and set a goal of maintaining that position. Their finish was a success by the team’s standards.
“Seventh in the province is something to be proud of for sure,” said Crocker.
She said the host did an incredible job of executing the tournament. This included an opening ceremony, dinner and a dance and overall making the teams feel welcome. This also allowed players to make connections with other like-minded athletes from throughout the province.
“When speaking with the committee chair, it was mentioned the event took nearly nine months of planning, with 80 members of their committee to make this tournament happen,” she said.
Crocker said the strength of the Dynos is their true team spirit.
“Right from the hop, everyone got along, they bonded well, trusted each other, and played for each other,” said Crocker. “I really couldn’t have asked for a better group to go the distance with. Plus, the parents brought a lot of fun with their endless cheering and support!”
The outlook for the young team is very good, with only two graduating players.
“We are a very young and talented team, and it is very exciting to see what the future holds for these girls.”
The Dynos return early September 2024 with Junior B, Junior A, Junior Varsity (JV) and the Senior Varsity teams.