Check out this awesome video of the 2024 Phoenix Winter Carnival !!!
The PRA hosted its Annual Phoenix Winter Carnival February 12-18th. Postponed by a week due to unseasonal tropical winter weather in Manitoba, we managed to secure 18 teams to participate in the U7 & U9 Tournament, over 225 kids in total!
Our U9 Phoenix Flames Red won the tournament on home ice. Runners up were the KW Wolverines. Congrats to all teams, players and coaches who participated.
The Skills Competition was a great challenge for all as they competed for fastest skater, a stick handling challenge, and a passing challenge. Special congrats to our Phoenix Flames Kids who placed in the competitions: U9 Fastest Skater Runner Up – Brody Larkin, Stick Handling U9 Winner – Marcus Rothwell, Stick Handling U9 Runner Up – Emmett McFadyen, and Stick Handling U7 Winner – Augie Boda.
The Phoenix Recreation Association planned several other community events over the weekend with the help of our Community Groups. We are very blessed to have the support from Headingley Senior Services, Bright Beginnings Educare, St Charles Headingley United Church, the Headingley Fire Department and the RM of Headingley.
The Carnival Family Fun Night on Friday was such a success! The RM of Headingley had recently installed a custom-built logoed fire pit and it was such a welcomed addition. The community sat around the fire with family and friends enjoying the beautiful weather. Our RM council Jim Robson, Blaine Clapham, Glenn Reimer and Yolande Franzmann BBQ’d and served families over 375 hot dogs and smokies while kids played out their hockey games, skated in the new forest trails and back rink, played on the toboggan run, hung out at the bonfire, and ate LOTS and lots of candy and slushies from the canteen. The Fireworks Show at 8:30pm was outstanding as usual! Big thanks to Scott Fileccia and his team for an amazing show. The Dainty Table the St Charles Headingley United Church put out for Dancing on Ice after the fireworks was a big hit again this year. Kids skated the night away with music, beautiful lighting, and friends. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful facility to host a community event like this. It was overwhelming to take it all in; families enjoying a beautiful night with friends, in the heart of our community.
On Saturday morning, from 7:30 – 11am the Headingley Fire Department helped us with the annual Pancake Breakfast. A very affordable and delicious breakfast was served to over 200 people by our very own local heroes. This event is always a big hit. Bright Beginnings Educare planned a free Kids Craft Table. Kids were invited downstairs and got to make several crafts and keep busy.
On Sunday we hosted a Ringette Showcase. Two U10 St. James Boom teams played an exhibition game as a celebration of the sport of Ringette. Some girls from a younger age group got the opportunity to play up and the teams and played in front of an audience of family & friends. Including Ringette in our Winter Carnival is important as it allows the PRA to showcase the sport as a quality option for young girls in Headingley.
We estimate over 800 volunteer hours go into making this event successful every year. We are so blessed to have Marian at the helm organizing the week-long event. Right along side her are many other PRA board members giving countess hours organizing the hockey tournament, coaching our teams, taking hockey registrations, organizing the canteen & kitchen, managing volunteer sign up, promoting the events, assisting in set up, take down, etc. We are a very dedicated group, committed to our community. Our hockey families supported our volunteer initiatives, along with many community members. We were very lucky to have Kristy Todd of Headingley Senior Services manage the Carnival Kitchen this year and many seniors in our community helped volunteer selling kitchen tickets.
The PRA applied for and was awarded a $5000 Community Celebrations Grant from the Province of Manitoba which significantly helped us with our Carnival Fundraising Campaign.
A big shout out to Sean O’Dowda at the Headingley Times for all of his assistance with last minute changes to dates and printing. You are always so good to us at the PRA and we appreciate your support.
To our valued sponsors: thank you for investing in your community and its families. An event as large as this one is simply not possible without the support from local businesses. Your generosity and support was record setting this year!
We could have never pulled this event off without the support of the RM of Headingley. Shawn Tosh and his public works team along with the Penners, our ice crew worked tirelessly to get things ready for us after having to re-schedule a week later than planned. We, the PRA Board of Directors, wish to sincerely thank all of you for your support, time, efforts and contributions to making this event a success. The Phoenix Recreation Association loves calling the Phoenix Community Centre & Hockey Hutch our home, what you do for the PRA and the community does not go unnoticed. Thank you!
