St. John's Minor Hockey
Financing of Minor Hockey
Throughout the past 20 years, St. John's Minor Hockey Associations, under the direction of a number of chairmen, have tried a variety of ways and means to finance minor hockey. Some have had favourable results while others were not so successful. 1955-66
The Royal Canadian Legion raised funds by tag days, entertainment nights (bingo), and by donations by clubs, business establishments and interested individuals. 1966-68
Dee Murphy tried a number of fund-raising projects during his first year as chairman of the association. These included a canvas of business establishments, a tag day, games of chance (bingo), oldtimer's games, plus a 'Support Minor Hockey' collection pot that was present at the gate of all senior hockey games at St. John's Memorial Stadium. Mr. Murphy even spent two weeks as the Jolly Snowman outside of the London, New York & Paris department store during peak shopping periods. He donated his reward of $200 to minor hockey. The first money given to the association, however, was donated by Mr. Al Kawaja of Corner Brook, who was in St. John's on business and attended the annual meeting. He presented the new executive with $50. During his second term in office, Mr. Murphy was successful in getting J.C. Pratt Co. Ltd. to sponsor minor hockey at a cost of between $10,000 and $12,000. The first exchange grant was approved for minor hockey in 1968, and, under coach Duey Fitzgerald, a St. John's minor hockey team traveled to Goose Bay, Labrador to compete in an invitational tournament.