A non-profit organization giving underprivileged kids a chance to play hockey is having some financial trouble.
Top Corner Hockey was founded in 2012 by Chris Green.
Green spoke to Saint John council last week to explain the situation the organization is facing.
“The main thing I wanted to show here was our budget differences from 2012 to 2025,” Green said. “Our first year’s operating budget was about $5,000, which is bumped up to $30,000 last year.”
Green said the number of kids in the program has gone from 25 the first year to 60 to 70 now.
“None of our kids in our program pay a dime to be there,” Green said.
Green said costs for ice time have increased dramatically over the years, going from $1,600 the first year to $13,000 now.
“There are different factors in there,” he said. “We are renting more ice, fees have gone up.”
But Green said the grants the program relies on have not increased over time.
“The GNB grant in 2013 that was $5,000 is still $5,000 today,” he said. “So when we have an 800 per cent increase in our expenses over the last 13 years, the grants have not gone up.
“So, we are kind of, I don’t want to use the word at risk, but Top Corner is in trouble if this keeps climbing.”
Green said to run a bare-bones program, he needs $22,000.
“That just gets the kids to step on the ice,” he said. “That’s ice fees and insurance. That’s it. That’s not skate sharpening, that’s not hockey laces, that’s bare bones.”
He said along with the grants not increasing over time, some sponsors have started to move on.
Coun. Barry Ogden praised the work Green and the other volunteers have done.
“Anything we can do from my point of view, I would gladly help because you’re really answering a great need and sport is just so important to physical and mental health,” Ogden said.
Coun. Brent Harris asked about the possibility of fundraisers, but Green said there’s a problem with that avenue because of the family situations of some of the kids involved in the program.
“Right from the get-go I said I’m not going to march these kids around town fundraising,” he said. “That was out of the question.”
Green said any business or people interested in helping out should contact the Boys and Girls Club or reach out through Top Corner’s Facebook page.
Green’s presentation included an important comparison between this program and the traditional minor hockey programs in the city.
“I coach minor hockey as well,” he said. “And I will tell you this. The kids on my minor hockey team don’t run into the rink like they do on Saturday at Top Corner.
“The excitement is the same, it’s just a little bit of a different level. They get off the bus and they’re running.”
