Coach4Food closing in on 09 record

With donations coming in "seemingly from everywhere," Tom Hedican's Coach4Food Program has broken the 70,000-pound mark, and is now less than 6,000 pounds shy of last year's record mark, with just two days remaining.

"Everywhere we go, people are handing us donations of food, money, whatever they have," said Hedican. "It is literally hard to believe. It's overwhelming. A new record is within sight."

The latest participant in a Coach4Food practice, the West Ferris Skaters Edge Novice AA Trappers, with a donation from Dr. Karen Morris and an anonymous sponsor, piled on 2,653 pounds of food to the 2010 campaign.

Next up were the New North Exteriors Peewees, sponsored by the Police Services Board, who added 1,463 pounds.

Then came some unexpected participants. With the closing of Corpus Christi church, as a goodwill gesture the church made a cash donation and the Church Food Cupboard added food, totalling 950 pounds. The Knights of Columbus followed that with another donation equalling 300 pounds.

Added to that were food and cash donations from the Nipissing Parry Sound Catholic District School Board offices of 460 pounds; the Powassan Men's Hockey League with 150 pounds; and topping it off was a cash donation from First North Enterprise, the equivalent of 750 pounds.

That drives Hedican's fundraiser up to 70,619 pounds for the North Bay Food Bank.

Coach4Food, whereby Hedican puts local hockey and ringette teams through a series of European professional and NHL skill drills, was inspired by rock star Bruce Springsteen's work with food banks in Canada and the United States. The practices will continue until Dec. 23 when the grand total will be announced. Last year was a record year for Hedican's fundraiser, bringing in 76,319 pounds of food and monetary donations.