The Pelham Panthers are looking to register a pair of wins on the ice this weekend while lending a hand to the community off of it. The Greater Ontario Junior B team is staging a food drive for Pelham Cares at its two upcoming home games – Friday night at 7:15 p.m. against the Welland Canadians, and Sunday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. against the Caledonia Corvairs.
Dubbed Goals for Groceries, hockey fans bringing a donation of a non-perishable food item will receive 50 percent off the normal $10 ticket price.
The Junior B team is family owned, said Alexandra Quick, treasurer for the team, and wants to be a part of the community. What better way to do that than giving something back, she said.
“This is our first initiative and we wanted to incorporate Pelham Cares,” Quick said.
The hockey team had at first planned to make the collection for Friday’s contest but later decided to expand the initiative to both weekend games.
“We want to collect as much as possible,” she said.
Pelham Cares manager Gayle Sears said it was thoughtful of the team to include the agency in their community endeavours.
“We are very grateful to have community partners such as the Pelham Panthers who are collecting food for Pelham Cares in such a time of need,” Sears said.
Food back usage has increased 51 percent in the last year, she said, adding that the agency has distributed more than 70,000 pounds of food so far this year.
Some of the items Pelham Cares is looking for include condiments such as ketchup, boxed macaroni and cheese such as KD, stews and chili, school snacks, crackers and cookies, smaller packages of flour and sugar, as well as noodle side dishes.
A complete wish list of items sought by Pelham Cares, including personal hygiene and household item, can be found at pelhamcares.org. More information about the Pelham Panthers, including a complete 2024-25 schedule, can be found here.
