Alumni hockey game to raise money for Bashioum fund
It began with a conversation at a hockey game and ended up planting the seeds for a charitable event.
The ice hockey associations from Canon-McMillan and Peters Township, normally involved in a healthy rivalry between neighboring communities, will unite next week to support a worthy cause: the Officer Scott Bashioum Children’s Fund.
Officer Bashioum, a seven-year veteran of the Canonsburg Police Department, was shot and killed Nov. 10 while responding to a domestic violence call, leaving behind a wife, Ashley, and four children, Faren, Catherine, Cole and Carson.
Money will be raised through an alumni charity ice hockey game, which will be held at 6:50 p.m., Dec. 21 at the Iceoplex in Southpointe and will feature former members from Canon-McMillan and Peters Township.
Admission is $5 for adults. Children, 16 and under, will be admitted free.
Ice time was secured from the Southpointe Hockey Club at no cost.
“We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do,” said Doug Hamilton, president of the Peters Township Hockey Association. “We in Peters Township have a lot of police officers and first responders. So it’s just the right thing to do.”
Hamilton’s conversation with Jeff Rhoads, president of the Canon-McMillan Hockey Association, produced the idea for an alumni game. Both schools had raised money for the Bashioum family at previous varsity matches, but this was a way to try to outdo that.
“It wasn’t difficult to get the players at all,” said Hamilton. “I coach the amateur hockey association and they were more than willing to do it.”
Canon-McMillan hockey secured the referees and EMT. Within the course of three days, 40 hockey alumni players from both clubs agreed to participate. Special jerseys have been designed for the event and “celebrity” coaches have been sought.
A 50/50 drawing will be held along with raffles for an autographed Pittsburgh Penguins jersey; a pair of tickets to the Penguins’ Jan. 31 game against Nashville; and four tickets to the Penguins’ Feb. 14 game against Vancouver.
Canonsburg mayor David H. Rhome will be in attendance.
“The funny part is that Jeff and I went to Bethel Park High School and I coach both his sons in an amateur league team, the Rink Rats,” said Hamilton. “We know a lot of the same guys. It’s nice to see them coming together for this.”
The Canon-McMillan drumline will perform and plans are in the works for the Peters Township drum line to participate.