Double the Fun, Double the Funds Raised at Second Annual Little Lakers Night
Five Counties client Paisely proudly wears one of the Little Lakers Nights t-shirts that were available as part of the second annual fundraising partnership between Five Counties and the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers.
The home team won on and off the lacrosse carpet at the recent Little Lakers Night in Peterborough.
Little Lakers Night – a fundraising event for Five Counties Children’s Centre held in conjunction with the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers home game on July 11 – raised $15,287 for local kids’ treatment services. That’s more than double the $6,784 raised at the first-ever Little Lakers Night in 2023.
“The Peterborough Lakers were amazing hosts and partners for Little Lakers Night, and we’re extremely grateful to the team as well as everyone who attended, participated, donated, sponsored and volunteered,” says Linsey Kampf, Annual Giving Coordinator at Five Counties. “If you measure the success of the event, it’s not only in dollars raised, but also in the many smiles on the faces of our kids and families that were evident throughout the game.”
Little Lakers Night featured many highlights, including:
Five Counties kids and families took part in a behind-the-scenes experience. Kids met Lakers players during their pre-game warmup, took part in the pre-game ball drop, and assisted in the PA booth during the first period.
Facepainting, Little Lakers Night T-shirt sales, giant Lego and a silent auction organized by Five Counties volunteers and staff took place before and during the game.
Members of the Junior A and Junior C Lakers volunteered to do pass the bucket through the crowd, which raised $4,000 alone for Five Counties kids.
Prior to the game, two St. Teresa kindergarten students, Bailey and Raelynn, were honoured for having their design chosen for the special jerseys worn by Lakers players during their pre-game warm-up. The girls’ teacher, Jocelyn Lemay, had encouraged her St. Teresa’s class to enter the jersey design contest. Bailey and Raelynn’s design for the warm-up jerseys -- a red-green-blue, stylized-crayon creation featuring rainbows and hearts – was ultimately transformed into reality thanks to the generosity of Merrett Home Hardware. After the game, the warm-up jerseys were sold in an online auction.
For the Lakers’ part, the team was happy to play host for Little Lakers Night – and looks forward to a ‘three-peat’ with Five Counties in 2025.
“Five Counties has played a big role throughout the years in our family, and we’re grateful to have this incredible Centre serving families in our community,” says Len Powers, a Five Counties ambassador and Peterborough Lakers’ board member.
The $15,287 raised from Little Lakers Night supports Five Counties’ Building Abilities for Life campaign, which goes directly to fund high-demand treatment services like speech therapy and occupational therapy. The end result is that more kids and youth in the region can access life-changing treatment services that they need when they need it.
This year’s Little Lakers Night was sponsored by Merrett Home Hardware, Discovery Dream Homes, Pinchin, and IG Wealth Management.
