It was a beautiful sight in the Winnipegosis & District Arena earlier this week.
The stands were packed, and the battle was on. RCMP officers from the Parkland area battled against the Winnipegosis Tigers, a senior men's hockey team. One game and everything was on the line.
Matthew Goudie is the president of Winnipegosis Minor Ball.
"Everybody had a lot of fun. Many of the older guys on the Tigers team don't play as often, so there were a ton of line changes," said Goudie. "The RCMP officers had fun as well. It's not something they do all the time, either. It was a great night at the rink for all involved."
The Winnipegosis Tigers beat the Parkland RCMP, 13-5, in a high-scoring affair.
While the Tigers were winners, the true winner was the Winnipegosis Minor Baseball Association. Through a 50/50 and silver collection at the door, they raised $1,300. All of those funds go directly to the local baseball association in Winnipegosis.
They raised $234 through the 50/50 raffle, and the remaining amount was raised through the silver collection.
It was community spirit at its finest. Fans came out to watch some great hockey action and raised money for a great cause.
"It's always an awesome feeling to have someone step up and put on an event like that, and to donate it to a well-deserving cause," said Goudie. "Kids' sports, so it was really nice to see, and Winnipegosis Minor Baseball appreciates it."
Matthew credits local hero, Paul Lippens, for organizing the game and fundraiser.
The baseball season is now on hold, but in just a few short months, local stars at the U7, U9, and U11 levels in Winnipegosis will put their gloves back on and get ready for the summer season in the region. They usually start practicing in the gym in April.
"Get the kids started on some fundamentals and stuff like that," ended Goudie. "Then we'll wait for the snow to melt, and they'll get on the field. We'll run through the spring season, and we also do some fall ball when school starts in September. We went almost until the end of October this year."
The Manitoba RCMP thanks the community for hosting and supporting the event. They're looking forward to a rematch next season.
