The connection between Noah Trulsen and the game of hockey is still going strong, even six years after his death, with the community gathering together last Saturday to participate in the annual Noah Trulsen Memorial Charity Game.
Hosted by his mother – Lorraine Trulsen – this fundraiser brings people to Planet Ice in Maple Ridge to enjoy a fun-filled hockey game, followed by a dinner and auction.
"We always try to do it around his [Noah's] birthday," she said. "It keeps his memory alive in Ridge Meadows, which is so important because he was born and raised here."
This year, the fundraiser was an especially big success, said Trulsen, with almost $7,000 being raised.
All of this money goes toward the Noah Trulsen Memorial Scholarship, which gives financial assistance to a local U-21 C player each year.
"It was the biggest year for donations through social media," said Trulsen, which may have been partially a result of the demographic shift at this year's fundraiser.
"We had a really young crowd this year for the fundraiser upstairs," said Trulsen. "A lot of the younger people brought their friends, which was great."
Many of Noah's friends were also in attendance once again, with one of his best friends bringing his daughter along to do the faceoff as in past years, with Trulsen saying that the little girl is so excited for the day that she is finally old enough to actually play in the hockey game.
Putting together such an involved fundraiser in her son's memory is not something Trulsen could have done alone, with her explaining that she is so grateful for how well the community comes together for this fundraiser.
"So many amazing people help us out," she said.
The list of participants who supported this year's fundraiser exceeded 90 local residents and businesses.
