Let’s face it: Minor hockey teams have a ton of expenses. From the jerseys, to ice rentals and team development training to tournament entry fees, hockey teams need deep pockets to keep operating smoothly. While some of the required funds come from registration fees and sponsorships, not all of it comes from those areas. There is still one major, important source of income for minor hockey teams: fundraisers.
Team fundraising events are created and run by the coaches, parents, and volunteers of the hockey team. The events can be anything from a car wash, to hosting a game night, to having an auction, and always rely on the generosity of the people attending. Of course, the more fun people are having at the fundraiser, the more money they’re willing to give to help the team. That’s why minor hockey fundraising events are always aimed at providing some fun, a sense of community for the participants, and helps build team chemistry. But what specifically are some good ideas for fundraisers? Well, anything that has a low cost, is fun, and provides some sort of “service” to the people that are giving money. If you’re still stuck for ideas about how to raise money for your team, here are eight fantastic, low-cost fundraising ideas:
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Car Wash
The Car Wash fundraiser is an absolute classic. Why? It’s the perfect event for keeping costs low and profits high, which is exactly what fundraising is all about! People love car wash fundraisers. They get to have their car cleaned at a low cost and feel good about giving money to a worthy cause at the same time. So, put a squeegee in the hand of each player and get scrubbing!
Keep in mind that even though the costs of having a fundraising car wash are low, some planning is still required. First, make sure you find a suitable location, with great access to a main road. Next, gather all your supplies: buckets, soap, towels, sponges, squeegees, etc. You’ll also need some posters and flyers to advertise the car wash and get people’s attention. Homemade ones will do perfectly, so long as they’re brightly coloured and have big lettering. Finally, divide up the responsibilities. Have a group that washes, a group that rinses and fills buckets, and a group that stands nearby with some of the posters to gather attention for the car wash.
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Team Yard Sale
All you need for this fundraiser are lots of donated items and a yard to hold them all! For the team yard sale, have each player on the team and their family gather items that they don’t need anymore and are willing to contribute to the sale. Find a location (usually the yard of a volunteer) and pick a date. Then, make some flyers advertising the sale and hang them around the neighborhood to get people’s attention and generate interest. Finally, gather all the items in one yard and sell them off!
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Bowling
Having a bowling fundraiser is guaranteed to be a great time for everyone involved. Plus, many bowling alleys will work with hockey teams who want to host fundraisers in the form of giving them discounts or donating to the cause. Just arrange with a bowling alley to rent multiple lanes, and have your team invite their families and friends to come bowl! You can charge a flat rate and offer prizes for achievements like: most strikes, highest game, lowest game, etc. You can also host a bowling marathon and have people pledge money based on the number of games bowled.
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Raffle
Having a raffle is by-far one of the easiest and sure-fire ways to raise funds for your minor hockey team. All you need to do is get your hands on some raffle tickets and have coaches, parents or team members donate prizes to be raffled off. Many families of the players will have items that other people will generally want, and that they’re willing to part with for the good of raising funds for the team. Gather the prizes, let people know what they are, when the raffle is being held, and start selling those tickets!
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Game Night
Like bowling, having a game night is a great opportunity for the hockey team and their families to hang out away from the arena. They can be held at someone’s house, or at a local restaurant or other business with public space (who will usually be willing to partner with the team to help raise funds). You can charge admission to come in and play different games or have card tournaments with entry fees.
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Chuck-a-puck
This fundraiser is quick and easy, but a ton of fun at the same time. All you need for the chuck-a-puck are a bunch of hockey pucks, a free ice rink, and a few prizes. Take the pucks and write a unique number on the back of each. Then, sell the pucks to people for the opportunity to chuck the puck onto the ice, towards the centre. At the end of the event, the closest puck will take home the best prize, the second-closest will take home the next best, and so on
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Bake Sale
This is a popular one! All team parents and players can contribute by baking something and selling them at the rink, during tournaments or any busy weekend! You’ll be surprised at how much you can make from hungry players and parents running in and out of the rink!
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Auction
Going once, going twice, sold! An auction can be loads of good fun, especially knowing that all the proceeds will go towards helping the hockey team cover their expenses. The auction fundraiser is like the raffle in that you need prizes donated from the coaches and families of the players. Once you have the items to be auctioned, find a suitable space and pick an auctioneer. Make sure there’s enough seating for everyone, and maybe even make some of those numbered paddles for the audience to use for bidding. Then, let the fun begin!
There are plenty of options for low-cost, exciting fundraising events for minor hockey teams. So long as the event is planned and executed well, it can be extremely fun and rewarding for everyone involved; both the organizers and the participants. Pick from the events mentioned above or come up with your own and run a few of them throughout the season. They’ll be a much-needed break from the normal hockey season and will provide the team with the extra funds it needs to book development training, extra ice time, or cover whatever expense it needs to. Plus, it will improve the team’s community outreach and may even attract some new fans!
