Despite the heat wave, Sooke is getting on the ice for a good cause.
This past weekend (Aug. 8-10), the Grant Gilbertson Memorial Foundation (GGMF) hosted its annual hockey tournament, which kicked off with a number of Sookies taking the ice to honour him in a Sooke-on-Sooke match at Kerry Park Arena.
Gilbertson grew up in Sooke, where he began playing hockey with the Sooke Minor Hockey Association. He eventually moved on to play for the JDF Minor Hockey Association, and later with the Peninsula Panthers.
On Jan. 3, 2022, Gilbertson died in a car crash on Sooke Road while making his way to practice with the Panthers. He was 18-years-old. He left behind “a grieving family, many friends and a hockey community that deeply loved him,” said his mother Darcie Colegrave.
To honour him, the GGMF was established.
“The GGM Foundation was created to honour Grant’s legacy through academic and sports scholarships. To date, the foundation has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships, helping young athletes and students pursue their dreams — just as Grant would have wanted,” said Colegrave.
This year marked the fourth edition of the tournament and featured a Sooke-on-Sooke hockey match in Gilbertson’s honour. The teams were made up of 28 members of Sooke's hockey community. It included two teams: the Roc Pile – made up of Gilbertson’s closest friends, many of whom played Sooke Minor Hockey with him – and the Sooke Alum, a group of younger players continuing the Sooke hockey tradition.
“Sooke is an extraordinary community, and our hockey family is truly something special. The love, support and camaraderie displayed this weekend reflect the very heart of what this tournament is all about – celebrating the game we love while carrying forward the memory of a remarkable young man,” said Colegrave.
In addition to the Sooke matchup, 12 teams participated in the tournament, with all funds raised through team entry, merchandise sales, an online auction and community donations going directly to the GGMF.
