Tumbler Ridge, the town in northeast B.C. rattled by a mass shooting in February, has made it all the way to the final of the Kraft Hockeyville contest.
It is now facing Taber, Alberta, for about a $250,000 prize money and the rights to host an NHL preseason game.
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Starting April 3, hockey fans across Canada can vote on the winner.
Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darryl Krakowka says the opportunity gives the community a good cause to rally around, especially in the wake of the tragedy.
“[The] excitement throughout the whole community is amazing,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.
“It’s really helping them, I think. [It] gives them something else to put some of their energy into compared to constantly thinking about the tragedy on February 10th.”
The community had already won $50,000 after winning the first round of the contest and becoming BC champions.
Krakowka says the reason Tumbler Ridge was entered in the contest in the first place was thanks to a woman from Vancouver Island who was looking for ways to help the community after the shooting.
“[She] figured that this was something she could do to help out the community that was going through a real bad tragedy,” he explained.
Communities across the country can apply by submitting the required documents, showcasing the town’s passion for hockey.
Krakowka already has an idea of how Tumbler Ridge can spend the money.
“There have been talks about making our facility more accessible, maybe some locker upgrades, [dressing] room upgrades, and lighting upgrades,” he said.
“It is just huge.”
On February 10, nine people, including three girls and three boys between the ages of 11 and 13, were killed at the Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and at a nearby residence.
The suspect later killed themselves.
After the tragedy, many hockey players of all levels around North America sent heartfelt messages to the community and rallied around the survivors, especially 12-year-old Maya Gebala.
In an interview days after the tragedy, Dennis Campbell, the president of the Tumbler Ridge Minor Hockey Association, said that the town basically breathes the sport.
“Hockey means a lot to our community.”
In a town of not even 4,000 residents, more than 100 kids play for the Tumbler Ridge Raptors, the local team.
