Five Counties Kids Benefit From $17,000+ Raised at Petes’ Family Day Game
PETERBOROUGH (Feb. 25, 2025) – It was a comeback victory for the Peterborough Petes on the ice and a big win off the ice for kids receiving treatment at Five Counties Children’s Centre.
That was the net result of the Next Gen Game with the Peterborough Petes held on Family Day (Feb. 17). Even as the Petes roared back from a three-goal deficit to beat the visiting Kitchener Rangers, the home team – and its fans – also helped to raise $17,056 for Five Counties. This year’s game was another sellout, and saw funds raised through donations, sales, raffle draw, and corporate sponsorships lead by Waste Connections of Canada.
Scott Pepin, CEO of Five Counties, calls it a total team effort which will help reduce wait times for high-demand services like speech therapy and occupational therapy at the Peterborough-based children’s treatment centre.
“The Peterborough Petes are tremendous hosts and, once again, the team, their fans and our Five Counties supporters all provided a huge assist to ensure more children and families in our community get access to the care they need when they need it,” says Pepin.
The Next Gen Game puts ‘fun’ into fundraising, by creating a family-friendly event that not only raises money but also the spirits of attendees. According to Pepin, that’s especially true for some Five Counties clients who got to enjoy a behind-the-scenes experience with the Petes. Each kid played a role as scout, coach, general manager, or play-by-play announcer and also signed a one-day contract with the Petes.
Five Counties client, Kelton, also had his artwork chosen for a special mini-stick that was made for the game, while Five Counties kid, Nova, and her family took part in the ceremonial pre-game puck drop.
“The smiles on our kids’ faces lit up the Memorial Centre,” Pepin notes. “The Petes are first-rate hosts in creating the Next Gen opportunity, and we heard many good comments and compliments from the kids and their families about their experiences behind the scenes.”
One mom, whose son took on a Next Gen role, notes: “I want to reach out and say a huge thank you for today. My son had the time of his life. It was a perfect day for him, and it means the world to us.”
Five Counties Children’s Centre provides speech, physio and occupational therapies, as well as other treatment services for kids and youth across the region. In 2025, Five Counties marks its 50th anniversary since it first opened its doors in Peterborough. A year-long celebration is underway, and the Next Gen Game was part of the Centre’s 50th anniversary festivities.
Category: General News