Another weekend of slo-pitch, laughter and philanthropy is on the way with the return of the Gorges-Comeau HOMEBASE Charity Slo-Pitch Tournament presented by Raymond James Ltd.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be back,” said Gorges, recently retired NHL player (Buffalo, Montreal) and Kelowna Rockets alumni. “This city has given me so much, I’m just thrilled to give something in return.”
The tournament is hosted in support of the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation and their JoeAnna’s House campaign.
In 2018, the event mustered up over $117,000 to help kick start the build of Kelowna’s home away from home — a number Gorges was pleasantly surprised by.
“To be honest Blake and I were both blown away when we got the final tally — obviously we wanted to raise as much as possible but I don’t think we ever thought we would reach over $100,000 and to be close to $120,000 just blew us both away,” said Gorges.
“We wanted to do something, something big and it turned out to be much bigger than we had planned — It was a great first year and really set the standard for what we want to accomplish.”
Gorges attributes the impressive sum to the generosity of his hometown, saying it really was “no surprise that Kelowna backed the cause like it did.”
“Kelowna is such a great city and even as it starts to become bigger and bigger, it still has that small community feel where everyone seems to rally behind and really support a good cause — it really is no surprise,” he said.
With the build already well underway, Comeau and Gorges know their work has only just begun. Their goal for HOMEBASE 2019 is to continue raising funds for the ongoing operations of JoeAnna’s House as it is scheduled to open its doors to families in need by the end of the year.
“It is a big need, and for us we know that just because the building is up and running it doesn’t mean we are done raising money,” said Gorges.
“We will continually raise money to keep JoeAnna’s house up and running, whether it be for supporting maintenance, power, beds or whatever — as long as there are people who need help, we are going to find a way to help them.”
The new facility will be located just a few steps away from the KGH and will offer comfortable accommodations for the thousands of families who travel to the Okanagan for health care each year — a cause that family-man Gorges holds near.
“I had the opportunity last year to go to the hospital and meet a bunch of the patients and families that were there and to hear their stories one on one, it was heartbreaking,” he said.
“People need help, and that's okay! It is hard enough just to get by even with everything going according to plan but when something is thrown at you like an illness or whatever it may be and you have to be away from your family or find ways to travel."
“JoeAnna’s house really is a big need and If Blake and I can use our platform to help in any way, we should be,” added Gorges.
Following his recent retirement from the NHL, Gorges has had time to do exactly that — get more involved with bolstering this important cause.
“I have had a lot of time this year to be a bit more involved and it has been a really fun process to be a part of!” he said.
“Being at all the executive and board meetings has been really interesting for myself, I’ve got to learn how much work actually needs to go into something like this.”
The sophomore year of the event will once again feature an all-star match on Friday, June 28 at Elks Stadium. In addition to Gorges and Comeau, NHL greats such as Carey Price, Shea Webber, Curtis Lazar will also swing for the cause in the hilariously fun and philanthropic game.
“Friday is a great event and a nice way to get away from everyday life and just have some fun — that is what the whole thing is about!” said Gorges.
“Come down, meet some of your favourite players, enjoy entertainment, have some laughs and raise some money with us while you’re at it.”
While Gorges has had some time to work on his swing, he isn’t quite convinced he and his hockey comrades will be drafted to the major leagues anytime soon.
“We are all just a bunch of hockey players but we will go out there try our best and have some fun, I know we have some NHLers who like to put on show so it will be a good time.”
First pitch will be released at 6:30 p.m., but for those of you eager fans who are hoping to snag a photo and an autograph— the signing session begins at 5 p.m. with a $25 entry fee on a first come, first serve basis.
HOMEBASE will not only welcome one and all to take in the fun of the all-star match, but invites community members and local businesses to swing for the cause as well.
Open to players of all skill levels, the tournament is inclusive and welcomes one and all to join in on the fun and there is still time to sign up! Teams must be a mix of men and women will all players at least 16 years of age or older. Click here to register.
Another way you can support the cause is to ‘pitch in’ by purchasing a ticket for the new online 50/50 draw both online and at the stadium. The jackpot will be big, but the impact will be bigger.
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