Last year, following a late-night discussion between a group of parents during a February hockey tournament, something incredible was created. The inaugural Fletcher Cup took place in March of 2023, an event that was created to help raise money for a local family during a difficult time.
“The idea quickly evolved into a fundraiser to help support a local coach’s family with medical needs for their son Fletcher Hobbins. Fletcher has dystonia and was about to go to Toronto for a major surgery to have a brain stimulation device installed in March 2023,” Fletcher Cup organizer Travis Sorenson stated.
Fletcher, who was born on April 27th, 2018, along with his twin sister Elliot, was diagnosed with Periventricular Leukomalacia at 5 months old and has since been classified as having dyskinetic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. The surgery for deep brain stimulation was done to help control random movements caused by Dystonia and could help improve pain management and overall quality of life for Fletcher.
Unfortunately, young Fletcher had some complications following surgery when an infection occurred and the device had to be removed. The surgery was reattempted in September of 2023, and was thankfully a success. Fletcher returned home in late-October; however, was in Toronto with his mother for approximately three months, leading to an increased expense for the family.
The purpose of the Fletcher Cup was to help raise money to support the family during this time, and in 2023, the tournament raised $8800 for the Hobbins family, as well as an additional $1500 for Make-a-Wish, for a total of $10,300.
This year, the Fletcher Cup will take place on March 23rd and 24th in Rosthern, with 12 teams participating. This U9B hockey tournament will consist of teams from Central Butte, Cudworth, Dalmeny, Martensville, Rosetown, Prince Albert (3), Saskatoon (3) and Warman.
Funds raised this year will go towards supporting the Graham family from Neilburg, who were recommended by Fletcher’s mother. The Graham family consists of proud parents Chad and Hannah, as well as Joshua and Declan, both of whom have been diagnosed with Inclusion-cell (I-cell) disease, a rare disorder that affects multiple organ systems within the body, causing developmental delays, skeletal abnormalities and organ dysfunction.
“Having two boys with highly complex needs, the Graham family is constantly traveling from Neilburg to Saskatoon for doctor’s appointments and procedures. I had the privilege to meet the family in December and those little boys captivated my heart. The strength of Chad and Hannah has also been an inspiration,” Sorenson said.
Currently, donations are being collected to help support the 2024 Fletcher Cup, including donations of raffle prizes, chuck-a-puck prizes, silent auction prizes, tournament swag, as well as cash donations.
Sorenson also noted that they are also looking for volunteers to help work the score clock, keep score sheets, run prize tables and more. “Most tournaments have a host team that works the games, but the Fletcher Cup is a tournament without a host, so we require volunteers to run it. The benefit is that all of the proceeds will go to the Graham family.”
For more information, or to volunteer/donate, contact Travis Sorenson at (306) 491-7723, or email travissorenson@hotmail.com. Further details about the tournament can be found by visiting the ‘Fletcher Cup’ Facebook page.
