Volunteer time crucial to Powell River Regals tournament success

The 2024 Coy Cup Championship hosted by Powell River Regals was held the last week of March, and community support was overwhelming. More than 50 folks volunteered their time during the five-day, senior AA male hockey showcase at Powell River Recreation Complex.

"All of the volunteers are trained," said Regals’ director Lisanne English. "It's usually the same group every year and a lot of them work or volunteer at other hockey events, and so they're familiar with the processes."

Volunteers of all ages took on tasks such as selling tickets, operating security, running the fifty-fifty draw, moving nets around the ice and organizing the hospitality rooms.

"We have all those little kids who come and volunteer for the rink rats and move the nets during the periods," said English. "Then we have somebody running the clock, playing music, they make all the announcements, and they run the big screen."

The whole event was run by volunteers who dedicate hours of their time to make everything run smoothly during the games.

"Some of the volunteers have been doing it for 30 years," said English. "Many [volunteers] are parents of players, or friends and family."

English said it's a real community event that gets people involved because it's fun.

"We do this [volunteer] for the community," said English. "This town is great because people step up and help; it's so wonderful."

English emphasized how dedicated the volunteers are and how much of their time they give to the event.

"Every single one of those volunteers showed up every single day, sometimes they were there for eight, nine hours," she added. "This tournament brought a lot of people into the arena and we wouldn't have had the success we did without every single one of the volunteers."

Regals have won the Coy Cup five times, including winning the last time they were hosts in 2010. Although they came out strong at this year's tournament, Terrace River Kings defeated the home team 5-4 in triple overtime at Hap Parker Arena in the final to win the BC Hockey Senior AA Coy Cup provincial hockey championship on March 30.

The Coy Cup was donated to BC Hockey by Colonel Coy of the 50th Gordon Highlanders Regiment of Victoria, BC. It is emblematic of the Senior AA Amateur Hockey Championship of BC Hockey. The first Coy Cup was awarded in the 1922/1923 season.

National Volunteer week takes place from April 14 to April 20, 2024. This year's theme is Every Moment Matters.

"It highlights the importance of every volunteer and each contribution they make,” according to the Volunteer Canada website. “The sharing of time, skills, empathy and creativity is vital to the inclusivity, strength and well-being of our communities.”

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