The minor football edition of Tackle Hunger will be held in conjunction with Canada’s first ever National Sports Day on Saturday.
The St. Albert Minor Football Association (SAMFA), Capital District Minor Football Association (CDMFA), Purolator and the Edmonton Eskimos are working together to raise donations for food banks in the CDMFA’s member associations. Tackle Hunger is a joint program of the Canadian Football League and Purolator and encourages football fans to donate non-perishable items and raise funds for local food banks. The recent Edmonton Eskimos’ Tackle Hunger night produced more than 72,000 pounds of food.
The CDMFA has scheduled as many league games as possible Saturday for this special event and spectators are asked to bring a food bank donation. Eskimos’ auction items will also be raffled off to raise additional funds.
Six of SAMFA’s seven teams will huddle up Saturday and four games are slated for Riel Park field. Kickoff times are as follows:
11 a.m. atoms: Buccaneers vs. Spruce Grove Cougars at Riel Park
11 a.m. atoms: Jaguars vs. Edmonton Seahawks at Clarke Park
12:30 p.m. bantams: 49ers vs. Edmonton Blue Seahawks at Clarke Park
12:30 p.m. peewees: Colts vs. Millwoods Maulers at Riel Park
2:30 p.m. peewees: Riders vs. Millwoods Grizzlies at Riel Park
4:30 p.m. bantams: Fury vs. Fort McMurray Ravens at Riel Park
National Sports Day is a celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels in communities across Canada. It’s an opportunity for Canadians to embrace the power of sports to build community, foster national spirit and facilitate healthy, active living.
SAMFA is extending an invitation to athletes in the other St. Albert sports associations to come out and watch their friends play football.
Entries are being accepted for the eighth annual St. Albert Fall Challenge on Sept. 26 on the Red Willow trail system.
To register, log onto the Running Room website at www.runningroom.com, or sign up through race brochures at the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club or at local Running Room stores. The deadline is Sept. 24.
Start times are 8 a.m. for the 21.1-kilometre half marathon walk, 9 a.m. for the half marathon run (two laps on the trail), 10 km (one lap) and five km events and 11:30 a.m. for the kids’ .5 km loop (no pre-registration required). The start/finish line is at Kingswood Park.
Last year, a record turnout of 432 runners and walkers participated. St. Albert residents featured in 12 out of 24 podium finishes.
Jack Cook of Edmonton repeated as the half-marathon winner at one hour, 19 minutes and 26 seconds. Tammy Mollenkoph of St. Albert was the fastest female at 1:35:40. She placed 14th overall out of 187 finishers in the race.
For more information on the Fall Challenge, call Christine Rasmussen at 780-904-4114 or visit www.sva-club.com
