December Newsletter

Greetings Lightning Players, Families, & Volunteers, 

The Collingwood Girls Hockey Association wishes you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! We hope you have a wonderful holiday and are able to enjoy a break from the hectic hockey season. 

Lightning Volunteers

As always we would like to thank our Lightning Volunteers for their time and commitment to the players and our Lightning Programs. Volunteers include Den Moms, Managers, Coaches, Assistant Coaches, On Ice Staff, Trainers, Goalie Development and Student Helpers. They must complete an online Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders course and this year they have had to navigate the new OHF screening process, which for many, was not user friendly. It’s true what they say, “Volunteers do not just do the work; they make it work”. We sincerely appreciate your perseverance and support of our Lightning Ladies! 

Save the Date

Lightning Photo Day for U7 through U18 is booked for February 4th at Central Park Arena. Team timeslots TBA, but please mark your calendar.

Lightning Raffle

Congratulations to our two early bird winners, Tracey V and Lindsay S! Get your ticket stubs in to your manager please. The main draw is being held January 18th at Central Arena, during the Collingwood Thundersnow Classic. There’s still time to sell your tickets!

The association-wide fundraiser helps COLGHA maintain a low registration fee, provides opportunities for skill development programs, funds the purchase of association-wide equipment, helps the association provide player assistance to families in need, provides individual player and team photos and allows our teams to celebrate the season at a year-end banquet and awards night. Thank you for your support!

Collingwood Thundersnow Classic, Call for Volunteers

Our hometown tourney is quickly approaching and the committee has been planning for a year to create the best possible experience for all 52 participating teams. The CTSC takes place January 17, 18 & 19, 2025 at six area arenas. Please reach out to your team manager or our Volunteer Coordinator Deb at debcrane@sympatico.ca if you can help out. All teams are expected to provide Volunteers to help run our tournament. We encourage family members or friends to lend a hand!

Thank you Santa’s Elves

A big thank you to the Wice and Clark family for planning and creating our Santa Claus Parade float this year. The girls had a great time, the weather was amazing and the float looked incredible. The parade has certainly become a highlight for our players and we wish to thank all of the volunteers and parents for pitching in. Thank you!

Congratulations First Shifters

Congrats to our 40 Bauer First Shift players on the completion of our Friday FUN First Shift Program and officially becoming Lightning hockey players. We look forward to your continued progression, Friday smiles and enthusiasm for learning a new sport!

Winter Fundamentals Program Registration is OPEN

There are 9 spots left in our Winter Fundamentals Program. If you know a young girl that would benefit from an intro to hockey or a continuation of learning, we invite you to share our information. Program starts Friday January 10th and runs for 8 weeks. The cost of this program is $60/player. The low cost of this program has been made possible through the Town of Collingwood's Community Recreation and Culture Grant Program. This grant generously covers ice costs, player jerseys, Head Coach instruction, Lightning staff insurance and OWHA fees. That is a savings of $100 per participant!

Lightning Spirit Day and Hockey For Hope

Please save the date! Hockey for Hope, in support of My Friend’s House is BACK, in partnership with our Lightning Spirit Day. My Friend’s House provides shelter and crisis support, and advocates for equity for women and children in the South Georgian Bay area who are experiencing gender-based violence and abuse. On Saturday February 22nd, Lightning teams will play for the women and children in our community. More details to come!

Lightning Website and Social Media

Please follow our Facebook and Instagram  feeds for the latest photos and team news. If you haven’t seen your team, then become the person that updates us! You can either send your photos and caption to us at collingwoodgirlshockey@outlook.com or post it on Facebook, it will be approved and copied to Instagram. Don’t forget to check in with our Website for full team schedules and further Lightning updates.

All the best this holiday season Lightning! Good luck in the second half of your season!

Cheers, COLGHA