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(Posted
9:30 a.m., March 29)
Bradley Cup hockey tournament raises over $15K for charity
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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 Charles
Boyer shows off the Bradley Cup to his son
Gio after Orléans downed Cumberland 5-2 in
the tournament final. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The
Navan Memorial Arena was a beehive of activity on Saturday,
March 24 as six senior men's hockey teams from Cumberland,
Vars, Sarsfield, Hammond, Orléans and Navan competed
in the third annual Bradley Cup hockey tournament while
raising over $15,000 for charity.
The
winner of this year's tournament was the team from Orléans,
which upset the two-time defending champions from Cumberland
5-2 in the final on goals from Charles Boyer (2), Scott
Pommerville, Max Pilon and Adam Fedor.
Orléans
finished the tournament undefeated on their way to hoisting
the 93-year-old Bradley Cup over their heads. After dethroning
Cumberland in the final, Orléans captain Will Boyer expressed
the feelings of his teammates.
"It
feels good to finally bring the Cup back to Orléans where
it should be,� said a jubilant Boyer.
In
between games and even during the games, supporters of
the players and other members of the public enjoyed food
made by members of the Navan Lions Club which is the main
beneficiary of the tournament. More than $15,000 was raised
this year through a combination of sponsorships and donations.
According
to Lions Club member David Gratton, the money raised will
be used to help fund a variety of charities, most notably
the Hannah Billings Fund which disperses money to families
deal-ing with medical emergencies.
"This
is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year if not the
biggest fundraiser of the year,� said Gratton. "It's become
a really big deal.�
Tournament
organizer Frank Boyer said the success of this year's
event was largely due to businesses like Scotiabank which
contributed $5,000 to the cause as a new presenting sponsor.
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Members
of the Orléans team pose for a group photo
after winning the Bradley Cup Charity Hockey
Tournament. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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Other
sponsors like ML Bradley Ltd., MVC Interior Systems Inc.
and Cumberland councillor Stephen Blais contributed $1,000
each. And then there's the individual donations, 50/50
draw, and silent auction.
The
players purchase the ice time themselves, which is one
of the big-gest expenses of the tournament.
"It's
a really fun tournament for a really great cause,� says
Will Boyer. "The format is awesome. A lot of people come
out so it's a lot of fun and a lot of the guys know each
other so it builds camaraderie.�
One
of the highlights of the tournament is the alumni game
which is contested between former players from Navan and
Cumberland.
The
tournament is a throwback to the earliest days of the
Cup when teams from the various villages in the former
municipality of Cumberland would challenge each other
for the pewter trophy.
The
Bradley Cup was established in 1926 by general store owner
John Thomas Bradley. The first team to win the trophy
was from Navan. They beat the challengers from Vars 1-0
in double overtime.
The
Cup exchanged hands several times before play was suspended
during the Second World War. It was revived in 1946 and
continued on until 1959 when it was retired indefinitely.
It
wasn't until 2016 that John Thomas' great-grandson and
J.T. Bradley's Country Convenience Store owner John Bradley
dusted the old mug off and put it up for grabs in the
first charity tournament which marked the 90th anniversary
of the first challenge series.
"It's
a really great event and I think it lives up to the spirit
of what my great-grandfather would have wanted,� says
Bradley. "He was a big community guy and this has become
a major community event.�
All
told, the tournament has raised over $35,000 in three
years.
Among
the many charities that have benefited from the tournament
in the past include the Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre,
the Shepherds of Good Hope, the Lions summer camps program
and the Lions International vision program.
The
Lions Welfare Fund supports about 20 organizations and
programs in all, says Gratton.
Frank
Boyer says he intends to keep organizing the tournament
"forever�.
"We're
going to keep rolling,� says Boyer. "We can't stop now.�
For
more information about the Hannah Billings Fund visit
www.navanlions.ca and click the link to Special Funds
and Bursaries.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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THE ORIGINAL NAVAN MARKET rain or shine from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Navan Fairgrounds, 1279 Colonial Road in Navan. Over 100 vendors in attendance. For more information 
CANADA DAY CELEBRATION from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Orléans Legion, 800 Taylor Creek Dr. Enjoy live music and delicious BBQ treats provided by Prestige Catering.
