Dirk Wolterbeek Sr.
Bullet News GODERICH – Home, hockey and community are tightly bound for Dirk Wolterbeek, according to a letter that nominates him as a volunteer who makes hockey happen in Kraft’s Hockey Goes On program.
Dirk and his wife, Mary, have become part of tournament tradition in Goderich, serving more than 35,000 meals during the Lions Pee Wee Young Canada Week (YCW) hockey tournament, wrote Paul Carroll, in a nomination that could earn local minor hockey a share of $1 million in prizes and donations in a program that replaces Kraft Hockeyville. In 2012, Goderich was edged out by Stirling-Rawdon for the top spot in the Ontario region.
Dirk was a young tournament winner at YCW back to 1962, and over the years has prepared meals and coached teams. He was also a strong supporter of the local goalie school that started in the ‘80s.
Kraft Hockey Goes On recognizes the top five volunteers and awards his or her local hockey association with $100,000, recognizes an additional 20 volunteers and awards his or her local hockey association with $20,000, and provides $100,000 to Hockey Canada to distribute to Learn to Skate programs at the local level.
Already, more than 500 nominations have been received, with a closing date of March 8. A panel will determine the top 100 individuals. Canadians can vote for their local hockey volunteer starting March 23, 2013, for two days. The top five winning communities will be announced March 30, 2013.
The committee will soon begin efforts to rally the community so that when on-line voting begins March 23, people in Goderich and area will be ready with their votes.
Anyone interested in joining the Hockey Goes On Committee is invited to the next meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 20, starting at 7:30 p.m. in the Goderich Minor Hockey Room at the Goderich Memorial Arena. For more information, contact Steve Hewitt at [email protected] or Doug Cruickshank at [email protected]
