Over 120 athletes will have buckets of ice dumped on them on Aug. 10 and 11 to raise money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) at Beckwith Park in Saanich.
Blood, Sweat and Tears, a touch football competition, returns in its fourth year, raising $10,000 in 2023, said Matt Rassumen, Charity director of Ruth's Ice Bucket Challenge.
Rassumen said that the idea for combining the two came after his mother was diagnosed with ALS, and they wanted to help raise awareness about a disease where chances of survival are slim.
"They have a hard time raising money," Rassumen said. "Outside of that boom of the Ice Bucket Challenge (in 2015)."
Rassumen is also the CEO of Rolling Tide Construction in Langford and did not expect to be a voice for ALS, but his mother's diagnosis changed all that.
"We never knew that we would have someone in our family get diagnosed," said Rassumen.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears have teams coming to Saanich from across Canada, including Ottawa, Edmonton and Kelowna. Each team has 10 players, seven starters, and three players on the bench.
There is no tackling in touch football, but injuries still happen and some contact still happens, according to Rassumen.
"Some of them are just old guys running around doing their Achilles and so."
Players participating in the tournament will pay a $100 entrance fee, which goes towards feeding players, drinks and providing a jersey to keep.
"The additional amount of money goes to the ALS fundraising," said Rassumen. "It is probably about $3,000 regarding what we get out of the player entry fee."
Sponsors make up the rest of the donations, including Urban Grocer and Speed Mechanics, according to Rassumen.
Before the games start the teams will need to be sorted into teams and a live draft where four team captains will try to select the best players.
Spectators will be able to watch for free, with the Ice Bucket Challenge taking place at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 10.
To donate to the Ruth Ice Bucket Challenge please visit: www.alsbc.ca/ruths-ice-bucket-challenge-2024/
