A ‘heavenly’ hockey game (5 photos, video)

St. Mary’s College students filled the bleachers at the John Rhodes Community Centre Thursday to watch the school’s annual Student vs. Teacher hockey game, one of many events in the St. Mary’s College Heaven Cent campaign, held every Christmas season.

The teachers defeated the team of Grade 12 students 5-4 (students also participating as referees and coaches), the game consisting of two 20-minute periods between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

“This game gives students who aren’t usually involved in hockey a chance to play, for a good cause,” said Christopher Czop, St. Mary’s College vice-principal, speaking to SooToday.

Czop said this year’s game included eight female players, the largest contingent of female students to ever take part in the co-ed Heaven Cent hockey game.

The Heaven Cent charity campaign was originally known as Pennies from Heaven, established over 25 years ago by the now-deceased Robert Denham, a St. Mary’s College English teacher.

Czop told us St. Mary’s College, on average, has raised $12,000 to $15,000 each year for local organizations who care for Sault children and families in need. 

“The funds from Heaven Cent go to different agencies in the community who ask for support at this time of year. We usually help agencies like St. Vincent Place, Pauline’s Place, the Soup Kitchen, Women In Crisis and others,” said Lori Marano, St. Mary’s College teacher and Thursday’s hockey game co-organizer.

Teachers and students paid a small fee to play in the game or view it from the John Rhodes Centre bleachers, with proceeds going to Heaven Cent.

Czop told us the Heaven Cent Campaign is billed as ‘Triple AAA.’

Those ‘As’ are ‘Adoption,’ which is the purchasing of gifts to students, families and the elderly in need, ‘Action,’ such as stuff-a-bus, a canned food drive, distribution of over 600 Christmas cards to retirement homes and ‘Alms,’  which is cheque distribution (the giving back to the community through monetary donations to local organizations with students and family needs at the forefront.)

This year’s Heaven Cent campaign, which kicked off Nov. 27 and wraps up Dec. 20, includes: 

• a pasta dinner (curbside take-out), formerly ‘Penne from Heaven’
• Student vs. Teacher soccer, basketball, volleyball and hockey games
• Mr. SMC Bachelor Pageant
• SMC Got Talent Event
• Gourmet hot chocolate and cookie sales
• themed dress days
• pancake breakfast (staff cooks in SMC’s kitchen for entire school to say thank you to the students)