Pub Night to Celebrate PHamily

The eight-time national champion University of Alberta Pandas hockey program will host its third fundraising evening on March 23, 2018. This year the Pandas have selected a more causal theme and opted for a Pub Night. The Pandas, U Sports’ most decorated women’s hockey program, will end their 2017-2018 season with an event designed to raise money for the Home Grown Excellence Scholarship Fund.

The Home Grown Excellence Scholarship provides scholarships to talented primarily Edmonton based female hockey players who would prefer to play their university hockey close to home instead of travelling to places like NCAA to play the highest level of competitive hockey. This ability to provide young players with scholarships makes the Pandas program more competitive and allows it to continue to develop as one of the top programs in Canada.

The Pub Night Event will be held at the Matrix Hotel (10640 100 Ave) in the heart of Edmonton. The program will be hosted by Oilers alum Jason Strudwick and feature a hot stove with the Benning family, including current Oilers defenseman Matthew Benning. Supporters will also have an opportunity to meet the 2016-2017 Pandas hockey team in an off-ice setting.

Also included in a fun and upbeat evening will be several fundraising activities including a jersey auction, silent auction and two raffle draws. One raffle will be for a Westjet flight an the second has a variety of prizes including a signed Connor McDavid jersey.

Finally, there is the ever-popular balloon blitz. Particularly enjoyable, the balloon blitz features numbered prizes randomly placed in balloons. Each balloon is guaranteed to contain at least a prize but there’s no guarantees to exactly what that prize is.

The evening promises to be filled with laughter, excitement, and opportunities to support one of the premier women’s hockey teams in Canada. Tickets can be purchased through the University of Alberta Athletics Department or day of at the door.