When it wraps up Thursday, this year's Hockey For Hospice Tournament will have raised a record-breaking $301,258.68 for programs at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County.
Tournament Chair Paul Pietraszko says that's $27,000 more than last year's event.
A record number of teams took part too. Over three days, 132 teams have hit the ice made up of kids between the ages of 6 and 14.
The event, originally conceived as a skate-a-thon, started 21 years ago has grown each year. Over the past two decades, it has raised $2.6-million.
That first year, the skate-a-thon was just one arena in Tecumseh. This year, four arenas in Tecumseh, Amherstburg, LaSalle and Lakeshore hosted 277 games.
When asked why he thinks the tournament has grown so much, Pietraszko says he believes the reason may be personal.
"I think it's because more and more people are becoming aware of the good that hospice does -- either becoming aware because of a family member or a friend," he says. "That's the sad part of it."
He says the kids raised the money themselves by going door to door for pledges. Some managed to secure corporate sponsorships.
