Annual Battle of the Sticks game to help The Veterans Association Food Bank

By Lethbridge Herald on December 16, 2025.

submitted photo Lethbridge Ringette AssociationÕs U10 Step 2 team display the food donations they brought in on Tuesday as a part of the contest this week leading up to the Battle of the Sticks game.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Ringette Association is hosting their sixth annual Battle of the Sticks game next week  in partnership with a U18 Lethbridge Hurricanes hockey team to support the local chapter of  The Veterans Association Food Bank (VAFB).

LRA’s U19A teams host the annual Battle of the Sticks game and  this year’s team challenges the U18 Tier 3 White Lethbridge Hurricanes to a ringette game and support a community organization in the process.

“That game is always coupled with some kind of community support drive,” explained Tracy Larson, co-manager of this year’s  Lethbridge Rattlers U19A team and LRA vice-president.

“We’ve coupled it so the U18 hockey team  will collect items and we’ll have an off-ice competition with who can collect the most food items and an on-ice competition.”

Game attendees  and community members are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to the game for (VAFB), who have been a beneficiary from the Battle of the Sticks game in the past.

“The local food bank I think gets a lot of notice during this time (of) year and the Christmas season, so it’s nice to spread that out and maybe offer to another group that maybe doesn’t have a higher profile,” said Larson.

“I think everyone can look back in their family history and know that they have had veterans that have fought for our country. And it’s really important I think for us to giveback and be respectful of that and support them in anyway we can.”

LRA has expanded this year and opened the food donations to all of its teams.

“So every team has been challenged to bring in food items and we’re running a  … mini- contest in the background for every team,” said Larson.

The annual Battle of the Sticks game is on Dec. 23 from 8:15- 9:15 p.m. at Henderson Ice Arena.

VAFB is looking  to fill the shelves with canned proteins, canned fruits and vegetables and grains and pastas.

VAFB’s Lethbridge location has been operating for two years and supports veterans from the military and their families.

VAFB provides food, funding, support and programs for needy veterans in Alberta.

If someone is interested in donating food and can not make it to the game  in person, they can email Larson at vp@lethbridgeringette.ca to arrange a drop-off.

-With files from Al Beeber, Lethbridge Herald