Lacing up for a good cause

Medicine Cup Charity Tournament

University of Alberta medical students support the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation during the 10th annual Medicine Cup Charity Tournament. 

I’ve gotten so much out of being involved in this and my other volunteer work, it’s something I will always make time for – either at home or abroad.

It’s not as if anyone needs an excuse to play hockey in Edmonton during the winter.

But for a dedicated group of medical students at the University of Alberta, hitting the ice is about more than competitive spirit – it’s a way to raise money to support the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Medicine Cup Charity TournamentNow lacing up for its 10th year, the Medicine Cup Charity Tournament was created by medical students looking for a way to get involved in supporting the community, explains Dr. Chris DeSutter.

The fourth-year surgery resident, who helped run the tournament for the past two years, notes that it was also “a great way to give students a chance to get out and be active outside of the hospital environment.”

Since its launch, the tournament has raised nearly $80,000 for the Stollery and last year the 4-on-4 tournament grew to involve 24 separate teams.

“It’s not just medical students,” stresses Dr. DeSutter. “We had everyone from pharmacology, physiotherapy and graduate students to the Strathcona Fire Department .”

This year, the tournament ran from February 7-9 and aims to generate another $20,000 for the Stollery.

Medicine Cup Charity TournamentNot everyone who joins a team is an experienced player. “It’s really open to everyone, and we had some players who had never been on the ice before.”

Even Dr. DeSutter was new to the experience. “I actually didn’t start playing hockey until the second year of medical school and when I got involved it was the first time I’d ever strapped on full hockey equipment,” he laughs.

Although Dr. DeSutter and his co-organizers have handed the reigns over to a new generation of medical students, he intends to get out and cheer on the competition. And he plans to continue to find ways to volunteer.

“I’ve gotten so much out of being involved in this and my other volunteer work, it’s something I will always make time for – either at home or abroad.”

Alberta Medical Association Mission: Advocate for and support Alberta physicians. Strengthen their leadership in the provision of sustainable quality care.