Move Your Soul co-ed ringette tournament for Multiple Sclerosis

WINNIPEG, Jan. 2 – Today, starting at 8 a.m., six teams of co-ed ringette players will battle the cold, the snow and each other in an effort to take home the gold and support a fantastic cause.

The Move Your Soul Ringette Tournament will include a full day of activities, and in addition to the tournament there will be a Labatt’s beer garden, a hair-streaking station, and much, much more. All proceeds will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, and tournament winners will be presented with their medals at the After Party later in the evening.

Ashton Friesen and Melissa Marlatt – the event coordinators – are both second-year Creative Communications students at Red River College in Winnipeg. They chose to hold a tournament to raise money for MS because they each know someone who is affected by the illness.

For Friesen, it is her childhood best friend.

“Heidi was the best ringette player on our team when we were growing up,” Friesen explained. “We all wished we had her kind of skill. Then one day, with no warning, she skated up to the boards during a game and said ‘I can’t feel my legs mom.’ That was the end of Heidi’s ringette career, but she refused to let it be the end of her life. She is an inspiration, and I’ve known ever since that any fundraiser I would hold would be for MS.”

What is normally a female-only sport has been turned into a co-ed competition, which is quite out of the ordinary. This decision was a result of the urgings of Chris Gaudry, another second-year Creative Communications student.

“I wanted to play ringette,” Gaudy explained excitedly, “and I wanted get involved and raise money for MS. Thankfully, I was able to convince both of the coordinators that allowing men to play would increase their donations, and it already has. They had to add two more teams and extend the tournament to fit everyone in who wanted to play. I am so excited I can be a part of this event, and I know that it will be a success.”

Allowing men to play in the tournament will add an interesting twist, especially since many haven’t played ringette ever before.

“I have no idea what I’m getting myself into,” said Neil Babaluk, a second-year Creative Communications student and ringette virgin. “I still don’t understand how to play. But it’s for a good cause so I don’t mind looking foolish.”

Tournament Details:
Date: January 29, 2011
Location: Silver Heights Community Centre
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. (approx. – gold medal game begins at 6 p.m.)
After Party: 8:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

About multiple sclerosis and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, often disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord. It is the most common neurological disease of young adults in Canada. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40, and the unpredictable effects of MS last for the rest of their lives. The MS Society provides services to people with MS and their families and funds research to find the cause and cure for this disease. Please visit www.mssociety.ca or call 1-800-268-7582 to make a donation or for more information.

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For more information, please contact:

Ashton Friesen
Coordinator, Move Your Soul Ringette Tournament
204.770.6479

Melissa Marlatt
Coordinator, Move Your Soul Ringette Tournament
204.479.7416

Or email: moveyoursoul@live.com