Close to 2,000 local hockey players are assisting the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County.
Players are lacing up their skates and competing in the 23rd annual Hockey for Hospice Tournament.
Tournament co-chair Paul Pietraszko says the three day event kicks off Thursday morning in Amherstburg, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Windsor.
"We've got 132 teams playing over those three days and we're using five arenas." he says, and when it comes to money, he says the tournament never sets a fundraising goal.
"The reason being is every year the kids have surprised us and exceeded what we did the previous year," Pietraszko adds. "So we've decided to never ever set a goal just like we never set a minimum pledge. It becomes a target and once you hit it, there's a tendency to stop. We don't want that happening."
Last year, more than $339,000 was raised for the local hospice, in 2016, $301,000 was raised and in 22 years, the tournament has raised about $2.7 for local hospice services.