Baycrest International Pro-Am Hockey Tournament:
Bigger and better than ever

Close to 1,000 players, including NHL alumni and dedicated enthusiasts, will take to the ice to help raise funds for care and research in Alzheimer’s and related disorders at Baycrest this May. The Baycrest Pro-Am raised $2.8 million in its first two years. This year, the sky’s the limit.

“We know the hockey will be great,” says Baycrest Foundation president Mark Gryfe, “but even more important is the number of sponsors on board. After all, the more funds we raise in the fight against Alzheimer's and the many other disorders that rob people of their memory, the better.”

The word is out that the Pro-Am is the event to support this spring, with many new sponsors attaching their names to Baycrest. “It gives us great pleasure to welcome Scotiabank Group as the presenting sponsor of the Pro-Am,” says Gryfe. “They join media sponsors Cineplex, the National Post, CTV, TSN, AM640 and The Globe and Mail, helping us get our message out to a broader audience than ever before.”

The action-packed tournament begins with a Draft Night extravaganza, where players will mix and mingle with their favourite NHL alumni and other hockey celebrities. Lanny McDonald and Mike Gartner are just two of the many new players this year. They join returning hockey heroes Doug Gilmour, Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler and Borje Salming.

Sponsors, hockey enthusiasts and NHL alumni alike are eagerly anticipating the tournament at Canlan Ice Sports. In fact, NHL Hockey Hall of Fame great Paul Coffey sums up the Pro-Am experience as a meaningful and fun event. “Everybody makes a big deal about us so-called celebrities and alumni being here. But we really play a small part in it compared to the people who raise the funds and the worthy cause it goes to.”

This year, out of the total funds raised, $700,000 will support scientists researching Alzheimer’s and related disorders, $300,000 will support the Sam and Ida Ross Memory Clinic, and the balance will support direct patient care.

You can get in on the action by sponsoring your favourite former NHL’er or other Pro-Am player at www.baycrestproam.com. A sponsorship of $100 or more entitles the donor a special tournament pass.

Beginning May 2nd, you can register a team to play in the 2009 Baycrest Pro-Am. Go to www.baycrestproam.com on May 2, 2008 for further details.