Hockey NWT super bingo will build on highly praised girls' camp

Hockey NWT says it will use the proceeds of a Yellowknife super bingo in part to create the next edition of a girls’ camp hailed as a huge success in February.

The One For All weekend-long development camp offered programming that reached more than 300 girls, Hockey NWT executive director Kyle Kugler said, including nearly 80 from NWT and Nunavut communities beyond Yellowknife.

Hockey Canada, which created the One For All concept, sent some 20 people to Yellowknife to help make the event happen.

The NWT won’t be able to rely on that kind of national support every year, but Kugler says winning the opportunity to host a super bingo will help generate the money needed to keep similar events going.

Each year, the City of Yellowknife holds a super bingo draw in which one non-profit is selected to host the event, from which that group can keep the proceeds. (The city defines a super bingo as “any bingo with a prize of over $50,000 and less than $100,000.”)

As a result, the right to run a super bingo is cherished – it can generate tens of thousands of dollars in funding that’s not tied to any specific program or spending requirement.

This year, the super bingo will be held on June 29.

“We put in for the super bingo pretty-much every year. I don’t think I’ve missed one since I started. It’s a wouldn’t-it-be-nice submission,” said Kugler.

Being drawn this year “was a huge surprise,” he added. “It’s exciting, for sure, and it’s going to greatly help.”

Maintaining Hockey NWT’s momentum in girls’ development was one of four objectives Kugler listed in the group’s application, alongside hosting a Yellowknife coaching symposium, promoting the establishment of Hockey Canada Skills Academies in Yellowknife schools, and creating a travel fund for athletes heading to major events like the Canada Games or Arctic Winter Games.

One For All was “an awesome event that we were very proud of … it turned out way better than we could have imagined,” said Kugler.

A second edition might not look exactly the same, he said, because the chances are that Hockey Canada can’t send the same level of support a second time.

“But we’ll be able to hopefully put some meaningful dollars toward something to make sure it’s an event that continues,” said Kugler.

“It may not involve both territories in the same way, but we’ll definitely have a weekend for women and girls at some point in subsequent seasons.”

While super bingos are lucrative events for groups, they also require a huge operational effort.

“The timing is perfect – it’s National Volunteer Week, and we’re certainly going to be calling on our support network to make sure this event meets everybody’s expectations,” Kugler said.

“We’re looking forward to doing a good job and involving our membership as much as possible in an exciting event for the organization.”

In the meantime, Hockey NWT is running a mental health week offering a series of sessions from May 6-9.

After the super bingo concludes, the organization will hold a fundraiser in partnership with Hay River Minor Hockey at the town’s golf club from July 12-14.