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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - OCTOBER 2013
ners, experienced hockey people and
everyone in-between. This is about
conquering cancer…not winning an
event.
While we do have industry chal-
lenges, the competition is really fo-
cused on fundraising. Awards are
given to the top fundraiser, the top
fundraising team and the overall top
fundraising corporation. This year, we
plan to introduce an industry chal-
lenge to further amplify the fundrais-
ing.
CIO:
What’s your target audience
and how do you attract new players?
SB:
This event tends to resonate
with 25 to 45-year-old males -- hock-
ey/athletic people looking to make a
difference through Canada’s game. It’s
great for networking, team building
and fantastic public relations for cor-
porate teams.
CIO:
Why has it been important
that celebrities are involved?
SB:
The celebrity draft is a HUGE
factor in Road Hockey To Conquer
Cancer. Top fundraising teams draft
the celebrity of their choice. We will
have 50+ there on Game Day, so there
is basically a 1-in-3 chance of having
a celebrity join your team and make a
great day even better.
CIO:
What about donor impact?
SB:
The net proceeds of Road
Hockey to Conquer Cancer go to The
Campbell Family Cancer Research
Institute at The Princess Margaret, one
of the top five cancer research centres
in the world. The Princess Margaret
is home to an All-Star team of talent,
from doctors and researchers to nurses
and support staff, each playing a piv-
otal role in developing and implement-
ing the most promising programs in
the battle against cancer. The labs and
equipment that are funded, in part, by
events like Road Hockey to Conquer
Cancer, empower researchers to help
make the discoveries and advance-
ments in cancer treatment therapies
possible.
CIO:
Why are the volunteers at
RHCC second-to-none?
SB:
This event isn’t possible with-
out engaged, committed and passion-
ate people who volunteer their time
to make Road Hockey To Conquer
Cancer the experience of a lifetime. We
have high standards and our volun-
teers ensure they are being met. With-
out them, the event couldn’t happen.
CIO:
What is the strategy to grow
the event?
SB:
We are actively looking to ex-
pand into all Canadian NHL markets
by 2015. Current markets for 2013 are
Toronto and Vancouver. We also have
an event model for smaller cities across
Canada should other locations wish to
get involved.
Raising just under $6M in two
years and becoming the world’s larg-
est event of its kind are monumental
achievements. Activating an entirely
new consumer demographic and
“
changing the game” of event-based
fundraising through a team participa-
tion model are also some key accom-
plishments.
CIO:
Any key messages for future
players/sponsors?
“
We are active-
ly looking to
expand into all
Canadian NHL
markets by 2015.”
ROAD HOCKEY TO CONQUER CANCER
