THANK YOU for an AMAZING 10th ANNIVERSARY SEASON for the KOMETS

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program just completed our 10th Anniversary Season with four teams and welcomed 16 new players and families.

We wish to thank our committed staff and volunteers for their efforts this season.  Many thanks to the families and caregivers who made sure that their hockey players got to the rink every weekend.  THANK YOU to all the players who gave their best every weekend.  Many thanks to our Board of Directors who served the organization so well.  

We are very grateful to our primary sponsor, Mary McGee, for her generous, ongoing support.  Thanks to Gary Holbrook from Hobies Sports for being an amazing Associate Sponsor.  Thank you, Austin Trophies, for designing our 10th Anniversary pins and medals.  We appreciate everything that National Sports does for our organization, families and players.  You always treat us well and your Association Support Program is great.

A big THANK YOU to all the out-of-town teams who travel quite a distance to Peterborough to play the Komets.  We appreciate your willingness to come to us.

Thanks to the incredible referees who came out week after week to officiate our games.  Thanks to the many businesses, service clubs, organizations and individuals who made significant donations to make the Komets program such a success.  

A big thank you to the City of Peterborough for your $7,500 Community Investment Grant and to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, the Moustache Fund, for your $2,350 grant.  Thank you to the CN Railroaders for your $500 grant in recognition Kevin Smith's service with CN.  Kevin is a Komets coach, board member, trainer and Co-ordinator of Volunteers.

Thank you, Dave Haacke and Jim Parkes, from DNS Real Estate Limited Brokerage for your recent donation of $400.

Thank you, Dave Smith...our local MPP...for your ongoing support of special needs hockey.

Our sincere thanks to the amazing staff at the Evinrude Centre who make sure every Saturday that we have everything we need. 

We are sincerely grateful to everyone who made Season # 10 the best year ever!  

The Komets were BLAZING!!!

Thank you, Bonnie Edwards, for these incredible team photos.  You were a pleasure to work with.  Check out Bonnie's web site at www.bephoto.ca

The SATURNS our Junior team

The GALAXY, our Intermediate # 1 team

The METEORS, our Intermediate # 2 team

The PHOENIX, our Senior team

Kawartha Komets Receive Community Investment Grant

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program was thrilled to learn that we have been awarded a $7,500. Community Investment Grant by the City of Peterborough. This is the 3rd year that we have qualified for this type of grant and we have been successful each year in receiving these funds.

Many thanks to the City of Peterborough for deeming the Kawartha Komets to be worthy recipients of Community Investment Grant. We will be using these funds to further our program as we seek to fulfill our mandate of "Making Dreams Come True" for our players.

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program just celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a very successful season with four teams and 62 players.

BLAZE KOMETS, BLAZE!

Kawartha Komets Hockey Players Compete at Special Olympics Durham Invitational Swim Meet

Twenty-one Peterborough Special Olympics swimmers brought home 56 ribbons from the Durham Invitational Swim Meet held in Pickering on March 17.

Four (4) of our Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program's players competed and won ribbons.

Jeff Anderson, from the Saturns team, won the 50m free. Matthew Ludlow, from the Phoenix team, placed first in the 25m free. Gillian McHugh, from the Meteors team, finished second in the 25m free and third place in the 25m back. Miriam McHugh, from the Meteors team, captured gold in the 50m free, silver in the 50m back and bronze in the 25m back and 25m free.

CONGRATULATIONS to these Kawartha Komets players and to all the Special OIympian Swimmers who did so well at this Swim Meet.  CONGRATULATIONS, as well, to Debbie Quinlan, Jennifer Scates and all the coaching staff on your success.

Peterborough Special Olympics will send 29 swimmers to the provincial qualifying meet in Aurora on May 26.

THANK YOU to Local Businesses and Individuals

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program would like to say a big THANK YOU to the following local businesses and individuals who made generous donations to help send our four (4) hockey teams to the KIP FRIENDSHIP TOURNAMENT in Kitchener last month. Your generosity is much appreciated by everyone in the Komets organization. THANK YOU!

Please support these local businesses and thank them for their support of special needs hockey in our community. THANK YOU!

Best Western PLUS Otonabee Inn
Currie Tire Ltd.
ServiceMaster Restore
Rocky Ridge Drinking Water
Ralph Bastian Dentistry
Betty Ann Gynane
Dan & Caroline Grady
Pat & Stella Casey
Anonymous Donor ($1,000)

Farewell Celebration for our Special Olympians Leaving for Abu Dhabi

What a celebration last night at the Special Olympics Send Off Dance for our Peterborough Special Olympians, Brandon Vansickle, Crystal Cochrane and Dylan Armstrong!  

Left to right...Brandon, Dylan and Crystal

These incredible athletes will be leaving next Thursday for Abu Dhabi for the Special Olympics World Games. Several police officers were on hand to make a presentation to our athletes and send them off with their best wishes. Lesley Parnell, City Councillor, wished them all the best on behalf of the City of Peterborough.

It was a great evening with good people, good music and dancing and lots of fun. We hope everyone has a great time...the athletes and parents...Robert, Andrew, Sylvia and Nancy!

NOTE:  Brandon plays hockey for the Kawartha Komets, Dylan played for the Komets for many years and Crystal is a good friend of many of our Komets players and families.

Kawartha Komets Welcome the Kitchener Ice Pirates

What an example of making something great from a difficult situation!
We received an e-mail from our contact with the Kitchener Ice Pirates early this morning stating that they were having problems with the bus they had chartered and our three games with them here in Peterborough could be adversely impacted.
Some of the families who were driving were already on the road and weren't aware of the bus problem.
As it turned out enough people ended up driving from Kitchener and all three games were played with enough Ice Pirates in town to make for three amazing, exciting, well-played games.
Our sincere thanks to Kirsten Carr from the Ice Pirates who made the day a success even though she was unable to make the trip herself.
THANK YOU to all the Ice Pirates coaches, volunteers, players and parents who made the trip and were so understanding of the situation. We had an amazing day at the rink. The Ice Pirates left for Ajax after the games where they will be staying overnight and playing the Durham Dragons tomorrow morning!
THANK YOU, as well, to all our Kawartha Komets coaches, volunteers, players, families, caregivers and our amazing referee, Mara Wilson!

Another memorable day for special needs hockey!

Special Olympics Team Canada Send-Off Dance

ALL KAWARTHA KOMETS PLAYERS ARE INVITED TO AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND…

The SPECIAL OLYMPICS DANCE, Friday, March 1st from 6:30 – 9:30

Come on out and be part of the Special Olympics TEAM CANADA Dance this Friday, March 1st from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall at the corner of Ford & Frank Streets behind St. Alphonsus Church. Admission is $8.00 per person. Chips and pop are $1.00 and water is 50 cents. Draws take place throughout the evening. Draw tickets are $2.00 per ticket or 3 for $5.00. 

Please wear Canada’s colours (red and white) as this event is a send off for our three Special Olympians, Crystal Cochrane, Dylan Armstrong & Brandon Vansickle, who are going to compete at the World Games in Abu Dhabi in March. Participants must be 16 years of age or older and independent to attend the dance. Must have a chaperone if not independent in the community. The hall is accessible and all Kawartha Komets players, parents, caregivers and staff are welcome and encouraged to attend.

We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

Kawartha Komets Face Off Against the Ptbo. Ice Kats Peewee AA's

Wow! What a great day at the Evinrude Centre for the Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program. The Saturns (Juniors) Galaxy (Intermediate 1) and Meteors (Intermediate 2) teams had their practice and then the Phoenix (Senior) team, with a few call-ups from the Intermediates, played the Peterborough Ice Kats Peewee AA team (a girls team).

It was a "friendly" game that had been arranged with the Ice Kats coach Chris Moher and our founder, Carol Fisher. Prior to facing off, both teams lined up at their respective bluelines for the playing of O Canada! Then the game was on! Referees Leigh Higley and Matt D'Agostini did an amazing job.

Music was played over the PA system during the line changes. The score didn't matter in a game like this. All I will say is that the Ice Kats put on amazing demonstration of skating and hockey skills. I'm sure that some of our players were a little surprised by the girls' expertise. Several Ice Kats parents, who hadn’t seen our Komets play before, commented on the hockey skills of our players and asked lots of questions about our program.

Thank you to our staff, players and families, the referees, Chris Moher and his staff and players for an exciting game. We're hoping to schedule another game with the Ice Kats before hanging up our skates for the season.

A great day at the rink for everyone involved. The fans enjoyed the game and told us afterwards. The Komets and the Ice Kats were BLAZING today!

Alex Darmonkow Takes the Plunge for the Komets

Dedicated adventurers headed to the causeway Sunday afternoon as Selwyn Polarfest wrapped up with the annual BEL Rotary Polar Plunge. Each team or individual raised pledges for charities of their choice before lining up to jump into the cold waters of Chemong Lake. This year's theme was Hockey Plunge in Canada, with many jumpers dressing up in themed costumes. Over its 39 years, nearly $1 million has been raised for area charities. - taken from the Peterborough Examiner
The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program was represented by one of our faithful on-ice volunteers, Alex Darmonkow, who took the plunge. Alex is one of our goalie coaches who attends Trent University. THANK YOU, Alex, for freezin' for the Komets. Next year I might even join you!

THANK YOU to those who supported Alex!!!

Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough Grant

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program was thrilled to receive the following notification from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough:

"We are delighted to confirm that the Moustache Fund within the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough is making a grant of $2,350.00 to the Kawartha Komets.

The public recognition of grants provided by the Community Foundation builds awareness of our community impact and leads to greater support for the charitable sector in the City and County of Peterborough.

On behalf of the Foundation Board and staff, I wish you continuing success with the Komets."

Sincerely,

John Good/Executive Director 

NOTE: The Kawartha Komets are celebrating our 10th Anniversary this season with 4 teams and 60 players. This grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough will be used to further our mission of "providing girls, boys, teens and adults with physical, emotional and/or neurodevelopmental challenges an opportunity to play the game they love...HOCKEY" and to fulfill our mandate of "Making Dreams Come True".

A heartfelt thank you to the Community Foundation and the Moustache Fund for your generous grant!

Gratefully,

David Fisher/President/Kawartha Komets

For more information on the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, please check out their web site at www.cfgp.ca

Two Local Special Needs Hockey Teams Face Off

The Kawartha Komets and the Electric City Maroon and White, two Peterborough special needs hockey organizations faced off against each other again on Saturday, January 5th at the Evinrude Centre.

Who won?  Who cares?  Everybody had a great time and that's what it's all about!

BLAZE KOMETS, BLAZE!!!