Forty exhausted but devoted hockey players are celebrating a monumental achievement.
The players were on the ice at the Chestemere Rec. Centre for 10 days of gruelling games, in a marathon fundraiser benefiting the Pediatric Cancer Ward at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
As of 3:05 Wednesday afternoon the group officially set a new record for the World’s Longest Hockey Game.
More than the money raised and a nod in the Guinness Book of World Records, event organizer, Alex Halat says bringing the community together and helping local kids was the real success.
Students and teachers at Chestermere Lake Middle School were inspired to help.
The school's Principal, Tammy Rahn says they organized a fundraising event that involved students and staff, shaving their heads and raised $10,160 presented to the hockey players on Tuesday.
"Two years ago, three of our students and one staff member lost family members to Cancer in a span of five months. And (that) really hits home with us, when kids lose their parents, and when staff members that you really care about, lose their parents."
The players skated until just after 6:00pm and a last minute flood of online donations brought the total raised to more than $1.5 million.