Isles Host International Pee Wee Tourney
Charles Wang's Project Hope provides opportunity for Chinese youngsters to compete at the Coliseum.
Last year, the Charles B. Wang Ice Hockey, Project Hope, dedicated to providing young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities as well as growing the sport of ice hockey worldwide funded a group of Chinese kids to travel to Long Island before playing in the Bell Capital Cup pee wee tournament up in Canada. While on Long Island, the kids played during the intermission of an Islander's game and stood with the players during the singing of the national anthem.
This year, Wang decided to host a tournament of his own on Long Island.
Angela Ruggiero, a U.S. Ice Hockey Olympic gold medalist, is Director of Project Hope and has been in charge of organizing the 1st annual Charles Wang Project Hope Invitational, a tournament designed to create a genuine cultural exchange between hockey nations. Project Hope's mission is to grow this international tournament into one of the largest in the United States.
"Project Hope has made a lot of progress in such a short time," said Ruggiero. "Charles has put countless hours into making this a success and so far it has been."
The four-team tournament will consist of the Qiqihar Bears, a pee wee Chinese team that won the right to enter the tournament after winning a tournament held in China. Also participating are fellow pee wee teams, the Long Island Cats, as well as teams from Bridgeport and Westchester.
"It's going to be a fun week for the kids," said Ruggiero. "On the 27th, they will have a chance to explore New York City and see some of the sites. Some destinations include the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center and the restaurant Mars 2112 for lunch."
On December 28 and 29, the teams will play in a round-robin format to decide the initial rankings. Games will be held at Iceworks, in Syosset, before and after the Islanders' morning practices.
The Gold Medal game, played between the top two ranked teams and the Bronze Medal game between the remaining two teams will take place at the Nassau Coliseum on December 30. The Bronze Medal game will be held at 1 pm and the Gold Medal game at 2:45 pm. Prior to the medal games, an informal skills competition will take place at 8 am on the Coliseum ice. A banquet will be held for the teams and everyone involved following the Gold Medal Game. (All games open to the public).
On December 31, the Qiqihar kids, accompanied by 20 Chinese delegates, will also visit the Long Island Children's Museum, and return to one of their favorite spots from last year's tour, Dave and Buster's, for some food and video games.
All of the four teams participating in the tournament will also get a chance to meet the players at Iceworks following their practices, and then see them play against the New Jersey Devils on December 30.
"Project Hope is about providing an education for youngsters as well as to promote the sport of ice hockey worldwide," said Ruggiero. "To achieve these goals, Charles has used hockey as a tool. These kids have the opportunity to learn a sport at a young age and travel to play in an international tournament. Getting that cultural exchange is as helpful as anything you can learn in a classroom. The gleaming faces of these kids alone speaks volumes to the effect that Project Hope is having on them"
