Hockey tournament raises $1.25M for Alzheimer's society

Alzheimer's Face Off hits the ice to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories.

According to tournament officials, there are currently over 50,000 Albertans and Northwest Territorians living with dementia. The event raises money to help those living with dementia and fund research.

This is the event's 13th year, and organizers are happy to be back to an in-person format.

"When we weren't able to (get on the ice) the amount of moving parts and cancelling events, it was really tricky," said Darrell Friesen, the event chair.

"It was a lot easier to raise money, create excitement, bring the teams back together, bring the players back together, which everyone was excited about doing."

Each team in the tournament is complemented with a former NHL player.

"They add so much to the dressing room, the stories, the camaraderie, and just getting to know them after, they're all wonderful humans, and they really also care about the cause," said Friesen.

This year's tournament raised $1.25 million for the Alzheimer's society, close to the most ever raised in a single year by the event, Friesen says.

"It's mind-blowing. It's a little more than the number. It's the effort and activity behind it, really, I cannot thank the volunteers enough and the players who really make that happen, and we do it through the community," added Friesen.

"Edmonton does a great job of supporting charitable organizations, and this is just another example of how great the city is."

Organizers hope to make the tournament even "bigger and better" for 2023.