The Abbotsford Atom A1 Hawks were the big winners at the Hometown Hockey event in Abbotsford last month, and now they are seeking your vote.
The minor hockey team, made up of 10- and 11-year-old players, won the Cheer Like Never Before contest on Feb. 21, and now have a chance to compete against the entire country for several prizes.
Way back in November, the team, with help from parents, put together a song and cheer to submit for the contest.
The Hawks became a finalist to perform when Hometown Hockey came to Abbotsford in February, and the club beat out four other clubs to wow the judges and win the Abbotsford region.
They were shown live on Sportsnet, and also received hockey sticks from Bauer for the big win.
The Hawks now take on 23 other teams from all across Canada to battle for the top prize, which is a trip to Vancouver and all-access to the Vancouver Canucks final regular season game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 9.
The winning club gets the chance to meet Canucks players, participate in a game day skate, perform the cheer in the Canucks dressing room, and also receive more prizes from Bauer.
Hawks parent Karen Pretty said it’s been quite a ride for the team.
“They were super excited when they won,” she said. “They’ve become so good at cheering and have such good team spirit.”
Pretty said she wants to see Abbotsford come out and support the boys.
“We are the only Abbotsford team competing against 23 other teams across Canada,” she said.
“The winner is determined by a public vote starting the evening of March 27 and runs till midnight on April 1.
“You can vote once every 24 hours and you can also vote on multiple devices each day. We need all the support and votes we can get. Last year’s winning team from Newfoundland had 100,000 votes in a week.”
She said winning the grand prize would be a thrill for the team.
“Lots of the kids have never been to a Canucks game so this would be a fabulous experience to do it all with their team. They would also get to stay two nights in a hotel in Vancouver and be treated like real NHL pros.”
Locals can follow the team on Twitter, @Vote_AbbyHawks, and can help vote the team in at hometownhockey.com/contest.