There are times when being a facility like Canlan York has its "moments". Moments of frustration, when the inevitable mechanical difficult almost costs you all your ice. Moments of excitement, like watching the York U Lions capture an OUA championship in front of a packed house. Or moments of joy, like watching someone who has never put on skates before develop into a hockey player. This past Sunday was one of those moments of pure pride.

On March 26th, Canlan York played host to the 2nd annual Skate for Sarah hockey tournament in support of Sick Kids Hospital, OneMatch, and various children's charities. Many people in the Greater Toronto Area will remember the story of Sarah Watkin, who at the tender age of 5 was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of leukemia. From that point, the Watkin Family launched Sarah's Drive for Hope which lead to a multitude of blood and stem cell donor drives and subsequently saved a number of lives. Unfortunately, Sarah was not one of them and at 7 years old this brave little girl succumbed to her illness. In the wake of her life, the Watkin Family and a community of devoted volunteers launched what is becoming a legacy event in Sarah's memory.

To this point, Skate for Sarah has raised over $100,000 for causes that were important to her and her family. In life, Sarah touched many hearts and in passing her legacy will impact many, many more lives to be sure.

We at Canlan experience many emotions and moments in our day to day, and being host to this incredible event is one of those times we can take a step back and just be proud.

We are all looking forward to April 15th, 2018 and the 3rd Annual Skate for Sarah Charity Hockey Tournament at Canlan Ice Sports York!