Extra ice time wasn’t a priority for the York Mills “A” Minor Peewee team this season. Their second place regular season finish during the 2016-17 campaign had them in a good spot when it came to their on-ice performance, and as a team, the group decided it was now time to focus on the bigger picture.

“We decided we had more than enough privilege in our lives,” explained the team, stating that they had raised funds for extra ice in previous seasons.

Looking outward, the team decided to start raising money for the 18th Man Project – a charity that serves children with surgical needs in Uganda. It was through the 18th Man that the team was able to raise enough to assist Jawodi, a young boy with a clubbed foot.

“We think it is important to help Jawodi because he will suffer for the rest of his life if we didn’t,” explained the York Mills team. “Most of us raised money by shoveling snow and asking for donations from neighbors, friends, and family.”

To keep them motivated, the team posted a piece of paper in their locker room to keep track of the money raised. In total, the team was able to raise $2060 – enough for surgery and to send Jawodi to school for three years.

“It’s been a really great team building experience to do something non-hockey related together,” said the Minor Peewee team.

For the team, they’re just happy they could help improve Jawodi’s quality of life.

“The biggest thing is we made a boy’s life so much better by just raising $2000. Overall, this experience was a 10 out of 10.”

The York Mills “A” Minor Peewee team are set to start the playoffs as the third-seeded team in their division, but number one in the eyes of Jawodi.