HIGH RIVER, ALBERTA (July 19, 2018) – On Thursday, July 19, 2018 in recognition of being selected as a Kraft Hockeyville 2018 finalist community, High River, Alberta will receive $25,000 from Kraft Hockeyville for arena upgrades, $10,000 in new hockey equipment from NHLPA Goals & Dreams and a special visit from New York Islanders® forward Jordan Eberle. In addition to this, High River will receive a special donation of $25,000 from Alberta-based electricity company AltaLink to further support the arena upgrades.
Earlier this year, High River was selected as a Kraft Hockeyville 2018 Finalist.
Kraft Hockeyville, a partnership between Kraft Heinz, the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association, is the search for Canada’s most passionate hockey town – launched on January 1, 2018. Hockey communities from across Canada were invited to nominate their hockey arena and submit stories on why their community should win the title of Kraft Hockeyville.
On January 3, 2018, after seeing a post on social media from Kraft Hockeyville, High River resident Melissa Pryor submitted the first story about High River and the community’s hockey spirit. From there, she encouraged her friends to share their story to Kraft Hockeyville’s website. Within days, Pryor recruited volunteers to assist with media relations and special events, including the Kraft Cup. The Kraft Cup depicted High River’s passion for hockey and community spirit, as players of all ages gathered together for a fun game. By February 11, 2018 there were a total of 153 stories submitted in support of High River and its dream of becoming Kraft Hockeyville 2018.
On March 17, community members gathered and were delighted to learn that High River had made the Top 4 and had a chance to win an NHL® Pre-Season Game and $250,000 in arena upgrades.
“For weeks, Kraft Hockeyville was visible all over town. Everywhere you turned, you could see signs of support and encouragement,” said Pryor. “People who visited High River after the 2013 flood felt a special connection to the town and were so excited for us, including the Town of Sylvan Lake who brought us their mock Kraft Hockeyville cup to help get everyone excited. The teamwork and collaboration still makes the hair on my arms stand up! It was absolutely amazing!”
During the voting phase, local businesses kept voters motivated and the voting hub saw hundreds of people coming down to be part of the excitement. Each and every vote made a difference, regardless of who won.
Though High River ultimately finished as a finalist in the Kraft Hockeyville 2018 competition, the campaign was built on incredible community spirit and widespread support, something all High River residents should be extremely proud of. Once learning of how far the community of High River had come in this national competition, AltaLink, which owns and operates the electric transmission system in central and southern Alberta, pledged their support to upgrade their beloved local arena.
“As an Alberta-based business delivering electricity to High River, we were very proud of the incredible community spirit displayed by the people of the town,” said Scott Thon, president and CEO, AltaLink. “By providing a $25,000 donation to match the funds from Kraft Hockeyville, we wanted to recognize and support a key community we serve.”
For more information please contact:
Media Relations
Robin Boschman
Manager, Corporate Communications
AltaLink Management Ltd.
Phone:403.828.1525
E-mail: Robin.Boschman@AltaLink.ca
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