Blackstock’s Hockeyville win leads to helping hands for local food banks

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

SCUGOG: The community spirit which helped bring the Kraft Hockeyville title to Scugog continued, on Friday, September 11th, as 10,000 pounds of food was delivered to local food banks.

The generous donation, from Kraft Hockeyville, was distributed to the Janetville Food Bank, Operation Scugog Foodbank, and Kawartha Lakes Food Source, providing a significant boost to local organizations supporting residents facing food insecurity.

Scugog Mayor, Wilma Wotten called the donation “a remarkable gift to our community” and praised the volunteers who helped make the delivery possible.

“[A] Big thanks to the wonderful volunteers at Blackstock Minor Hockey, for their hard work and heavy lifting, and to the volunteers at Operation Scugog and the Township of Scugog for directing the organized chaos,” Mayor Wotten said.

The donation follows Scugog’s successful bid to capture the 2026 Kraft Hockeyville provincial title, a campaign which brought residents, businesses, community organizations, and hockey fans together, in support of the Blackstock Recreation Complex.

For members of the community involved in the Hockeyville effort, the food donation provided another opportunity to turn that community success into tangible support for local residents.

“This gift of 10,000 lbs of food will be a huge boost to our food bank,” Mayor Wotten added.

The Mayor was also among those who helped unload the donation, when it arrived on Friday.

“I was very grateful for the opportunity to lend a hand and help with moving some of the product off of the trucks and onto the shelves!” she said.

R. Havery Landscaping helped transport the food to the local food banks, while Mayor Wotten and Scugog Councillors Harold Wright and Terry Coyne joined community members to help unload the donation.

Mike Blakey, of the Blackstock Minor Hockey League, said, the effort demonstrated the strength of the community which rallied behind the Hockeyville campaign.

“It really showed the incredible power of our community coming together,” Mr. Blakey said. “There were so many people involved in organizing, loading, transporting, and making sure this generous donation reached the people who need it most.”

The Blackstock Recreation Complex has long been an important gathering place for the community, and the Hockeyville campaign highlighted its significance to generations of local residents.

The 2026 competition also brought attention to the need for a permanent refrigeration system at the arena. The project is expected to cost approximately $1 million, with the community’s fundraising efforts receiving a significant boost through the Kraft Hockeyville win.

While improvements to the arena remain a major legacy of the campaign, Friday’s donation demonstrated another way the Hockeyville victory can benefit residents beyond the rink.

“We’re grateful to our amazing community for rallying with us, bringing home the provincial Kraft Hockeyville title and making this donation possible,” Mr. Blakey explained.

The food donation was delivered to the three organizations and is expected to provide valuable support, as local food banks continue to meet growing demand.

“It takes a community to make a difference,” Mr. Blakey added. “We’re so proud to be part of one which continues to show up for each other.”