Remo Campitelli, the King Bushwacker of Huntsville’s Bushwackers Hockey Club, is fundraising for its 11 annual charity hockey tournament.
Four teams of mostly local hockey players will participate in this year’s tournament on Saturday (Aug. 17) from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Summit Center.
Campitelli says he first started the tournament with a couple of his friends to raise money because Huntsville was “losing a lot of young kids who weren’t participating in joining hockey.”
“We were getting the hockey players in from around here and around parts of Canada and it did very well. We raised some good money,” says Campitelli.
He says about $140,000 has been raised so far with the tournament.
“[The money has been] spread out to kids, the hospital and different venues along the way for helping people with their reds and food and that type of thing,” adds Campitelli.
He says the money has helped a lot of kids in the area, including some with cerebral palsy and cystic fibrosis.
“I was thinking about how to give them a quality life through the years. Their life expectancy is only 35 to 40 years old. It’s increased quite a bit over the last five years, so hopefully, I’m thinking maybe I helped along the way,” shares Campitelli.
He says he keeps in touch with the kids he has helped over the years adding they are doing “very well.”
“One is doing very well as a goaltender,” says Campitelli “The NHL scouts are looking at them.”
Campitelli says he is planning to help five to six kids by raising around $5,000 this year, all while continuing to get area kids excited for hockey.
To donate or to know more about the event, contact Remo Campitelli at 705-571-4996.
