One of the organizers from the inaugural 'Battle of the Badges' charity hockey game says the event 'knocked it out of the park.'
Jeff Casey, who is the founder of Play for a Cure and chair of the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund, helped organize the event and says Wednesday's event at the WFCU Centre raised $176,000 for local cancer research initiatives.
He says the game itself raised $106,000, and the Cancer Research Society matched the $70,000 fundraising goal, contributing $70,000 towards the cause.
"We had 4,100 people at WFCU Centre, and on top of that, we were actually able to reach our goal of $70,000, and it was matched by the Cancer Research Society, an additional $70,000," he says.
Casey says the matching funds will be used to create a cancer research project starting in 2027.
"When we can take some money that we generated here in our community and bring in some national funding, that's huge, so we're able to match dollars," says Casey.
He says the event is expected to return in 2027.
"When you're planning these things, you're automatically starting to plan the next one—at least I do," he says. "February 4 being World Cancer Day, we've spoken with WFCU, and they've already kind of pencilled it in; we have to finalize the contract, but it is booked."
The event featured a game between the Windsor Police Service and Windsor Fire & Rescue Services.
Windsor police won the game 6-2.