Burns Lake Minor Hockey Association received $15,000 donations from the B.C. Hockey League (BCHL) from their earnings at the league’s road show event in February. The announcement was made on July 7.

B.C. Hockey League hosted two regular-season games between Prince George Spruce Kings and Salmon Arm Silverbacks at Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena in Burns Lake by the BCHL for the celebration of Family Day long weekend.

Burns Lake Minor Hockey former president Steve Bayes said, “The 2023 road show donation was an absolute surprise. I was speechless when I received the call. I can’t thank the BCHL enough for all they did to bring hockey back to Burns Lake and to ignite the fire in the kids to come back to hockey and play for fun.”

Current Burns Lake Minor Hockey President Brad Abietkoff said, “We’re just trying to get the community together and get more kids, parents and volunteer involved to make it a fun and enjoyable environment for all ages. Hopefully in the future if we get our numbers up, we’ll start competing at a higher level.”

Abietkoff said the money from the donation will be used to buy jerseys (mainly) and any remaining figure will be invested to buy safety gears, trainer bags, and first aid kits.

Within the event, Lake Babine Nation hosted school visits, minor hockey camps and a traditional feast.

The funds came from sponsorship and ticket sales from the games, both of which were sold out.

BCHL Commissioner Steven Cocker said, “It’s great to be able to give back to Burns Lake Minor Hockey and support the game at the grassroots level. With the amount of support we got from the host committee, this donation is also a thank you to them for their hard work and dedication. This event is all about community.”