Every year the local football community comes together to honour one of their own and raise money for a cause that’s close to home.
The 10th annual Scott MacDonald Memorial Tournament will be taking over Walsh Field on Saturday, Sept. 21. The day-long football event will see local teams hitting the field and raising funds for cancer research.
The tournament is in honour of Scott MacDonald, a former Voyageur who lost his battle with cancer in 2010.
“Scott played for us back in the day,” noted Voyageurs head coach Larry Godziuk. “He was a three-year player for us who loved football, and he was a pretty good player… I know he was passionate about the game, and he had an early end.”
As a way of honouring his memory, a few of his teammates came together to organize a fundraiser.
“The idea wasn’t to bring football here, it was to raise a few dollars toward the hospital so they could get a few things for the kids who were in similar situations to Scott,” Godziuk explained. “Since then, the parents have grabbed the reins and (turned it) into a pretty big day.”
A portion of the money raised goes toward the Voyageur’s scholarship fund, while the remaining dollars are used by the Bonnyville Amateur Football Association (BAFA) to honour one of Scott’s wishes.
Teri Prevost, head coordinator for the event, explained, “When he was going for treatments, because none of the kids had anything to do, he wanted to be able to give the kids a PlayStation or something like that so they could have something to do while they were going for treatments in the hospital.”
From the head shaves and silent auctions, last year’s event brought in over $12,000. This year, the teams are hoping to raise $15,000.
The event kicks off with the Overdrive Tiny Techs, Bonnyville’s flag football team. They’ll be warming up the crowd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Renegades will face-off against the Cold Lake Rams at 2 p.m.
Jason Morgan, Renegades head coach, noted the tournament is an opportunity to explain what the event’s all about and its significance to the area.
“We use it to focus the kids around the community, how the football program really tries to give back to the community that we come from, and the importance of fundraisers,” he expressed.
For Morgan, the Scott MacDonald Memorial is the region’s best day of football.
“All three teams are at home, they’re playing good quality opponents, the kids are pumped and geared up for it, and it’s a great day of excitement.”
The Bandits will be playing the Cold Lake Ravens at 4:30 p.m., a match-up head coach Robbie Cole described as “the biggest (home) game of the year.”
The final team to take to the field will be the Voyageurs against Fort McMurray at 7:30 p.m.
“It’s going to be a challenging game, because the public board forced two of the public high schools to put a team together so we’re facing the best that Fort McMurray has to offer,” detailed Godziuk. “That’s going to be a significant challenge for us… (because) we were expecting to face the Fort McMurray Trappers.”
Members of the Voyageurs will lose their locks during the halftime at the first game, followed by the Renegades at the Bandits halftime. The bantam team will be the last players of the day to take part in the traditional head shave. They will take to the barber’s chair at the mid-way mark of the Voyageurs’ game.
Players have already been busy collecting pledges from family and friends.
According to Cole, some athletes wait all year to chop off their hair in front of the crowd.
“We’ve got kids that shaved at the Scott MacDonald, and they let it grow until the Scott MacDonald the (following) year. Some of the boys have some pretty crazy locks, I’ve seen a couple of kids with bright pink hair, they dyed it pink the other day and they’re shaving it off that day.”
Local football fans have been coming out for the last decade to support the cause, and to enjoy the tournament.
“It’s nice to see the stands full, and it’s nice to see the community come together. I know we have a lot of events like that… It’s nice to see people there. These guys like to play in front of their parents and friends,” Godziuk said.
The memorial is an event that’s anticipated by everyone in the local football community.
“It’s our biggest day of the year. Every single child that plays football will testify to that. It’s an exciting day, and we’re all there for one reason: to raise money for cancer,” expressed Prevost. “It’s a great day to come out, enjoy ourselves, and to raise money for an important cause.”
