The second annual Elias Giannoulis 3-on-3 hockey tournament for mental health kicked off with a bang this year. The kinetic tournament brought multiple teams raising thousands of dollars, building upon the success of its inaugural year.
“It all stemmed back to Elias Giannoulis who was a very good friend of my son's, Martin Pearson -- Nathan Guy and Alex Fedorchuk,” said Kathy Peason, who spearheads the organizing committee.
“They all played hockey together for years, they went to the same school – they were best buddies.
“When Elias passed away due to suicide, they wanted to do something in his memory. So, the three of them basically came to me and said they want to put on a 3 on 3 hockey tournament. They went to hockey because that’s what they remember of Elias – he was their hockey friend. I mean, they lived and breathed hockey.
“They said they want to do this, we want to raise money and keep it local.”
Clearly, the tournament has made an impact - marquee sponsors including Parkland College have come on board this year, building upon the last.
“We had our first tournament last year and it was a huge success. We raised over $15 000.”
