After a several-year hiatus, a team of local volunteers are looking to bring back a broomball tournament to 100 Mile House.
District of 100 Mile House Coun. Donna Barnett is teaming up with several local organizers including Pam Dafoe to organize the Cariboo Challenge 2025 Broomball Tournament for Saturday, Feb. 22 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dafoe and Barnett are looking for a minimum of eight teams to sign up to run the event and are welcoming anyone in the community to come register and play.
"A lot of people complain there is nothing to do in the winter up here so when we first did it was to break up the winter a little bit and have fun," Dafoe remarked.
Registration costs $250 per team with all proceeds going to a charity of the winning team's choice. Registration can be done by contacting Barnett at either d_barnett@shaw.ca or 250-855-9956. The event will take place in the South Cariboo Rec Centre's parking lot and the neighbouring baseball fields. Rules are similar to hockey with teams using brooms instead of sticks and a large rubber ball rather than a puck.
Barnett said the broomball tournament was originally organized as part of the Jack Gawthorn Memorial Sled Dog Race, a staple community event for decades until its permanent cancellation in 2020 due to lack of snow and volunteers. Dafoe said she got involved in 2014 after answering a Facebook post from Lucille Armstrong looking for volunteers to organize the Cariboo Challenge Family Fun Night.
In addition to the broomball tournament on Birch Avenue, Dafoe said they had several different events including a human foosball table, 20 different activities for children and face painting in the 100 Mile House Community Hall. Despite the amount of work that went into organizing and setting everything up, Dafoe said it was a ton of fun and a hit with the community that year and every subsequent year they organized it.
"My husband is an old guy and he came and helped a bit and said 'this is like one of those movies you watch, a Hallmark moment'," DaFoe said, noting they stopped doing the Family Fun Night after 2017 because they were insured under the Jack Gawthorn Memorial Sled Dog Race's insurance.
In late 2024 and early 2025, however, Dafoe said Barnett approached her, Armstrong and the other volunteers who organized the original Cariboo Challenge and suggested they do it again. While it was a bit short notice Dafoe said she and the others got to work and have spent the last few weeks trying to organize the event and get teams registered.
If they get at least eight teams Dafoe said each team will be guaranteed at least one game in a knock-off style tournament. Unlike in previous years, Dafoe said helmets will be required to avoid injury. She noted that games have gotten a little heated in the past with bruises, scrapes and one broken finger.
The tournament's winner will receive a handmade trophy made by Louise Mayes and get to decide which charity the money raised from the tournament will be donated to. Dafoe noted that, if teams so desire, they can split the winnings between two charities. A separate trophy will also be given to the team that displays the most team spirit during the tournament.
In addition to the broomball tournament, Dafoe said they plan to bring back fun carnival-style games for children and adults to participate in. This will include relay races, a snowball throwing contest and Dafoe's personal favourite the doughnut on a string eating contest. Prizes will be given out and food trucks will also be on-site.
All of this hinges, however, on enough teams signing up to run the event. Dafoe said if they don't have enough teams registered by Feb. 1 they won't run the event. Barnett hopes the event gains some momentum and can become an annual event.
"We're looking at next year and this is a test run, in a way and it of course is helping non-profits. We have a lot of non-profits around here (who need help)," Barnett said.