Dozens of players laced up to take the ice in Sherwood Park today. The Dirty Birds Tournament helps little heroes who are battling neurological conditions.

Seven-year-old Ava Hadfield has been battling a brain tumour for almost five years. Despite three surgeries and more than 40 rounds of chemotherapy, she’s living life to the fullest.

“She’s very strong, Ava’s mother Mandy Hadfield said. “She never complains, she just takes everything in stride.”

Players gave Ava high-fives and even handed her some of their team apparel after she was honoured as today’s Little Hero at the fifth annual tournament, hosted at the Glen Allan Rec Centre Saturday.

Ava said “it felt really magical” when the players were banging their hockey sticks on the ice to cheer for her.

Money raised goes to the Neurosurgery Kids Fund (NKF), which helps create programs to benefit families who use the pediatric neurosurgery unit at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.

One of those programs to have come out of the NKF is Camp Everest, roughly six years ago. It was built for kids like Ava.

“Just watching them be kids and do things that they normally don't get to do, or have any opportunity to go to camp, that they wouldn't without the nurses and doctors,” Hadfield said.

Another child to benefit from the Camp was Little Naomi Elgot. She attended the camp and charity hockey tournament in their first years.

Naomi passed away in 2012, but her mom Melinda Elgot has been volunteering for the Dirt Birds games ever since.

“We just really felt, even after she passed away, that this was a way that we can continue to keep her legacy alive,” Elgot said.

The tournament started small and – not including this year’s total – has raised over $340,000 for the NKF since 2011.

“It’s a little about hockey, and a lot about changing lives,” Elgot said.

Over the years, players have visited the Stollery Children’s Hospital to meet those impacted by their work during tournaments and other outings.

“We're playing hockey just having a good time, but it really hits home when you see that what we're doing, our little bit, is actually helping these people so much,” Houstin Shivik-Bailey said.

And people like young Ava, who is healthy enough to take a break from treatment this summer, is looking forward to going to camp next month, where she’ll spend time with other kids just like her.

“It’s going to be really fun,” she said.