If the Williams Lake Stampeders can beat the Terrace River Kings one more time this coming weekend it will mean a berth at the Coy Cup Senior Men's Provincial AA Hockey Championship.
It also means an expensive, 2,000-kilometre trip for the team to Whitehorse, YT — the home of the Whitehorse Huskies and host of the tournament.
To help offset some of the costs, the Stampeders are hosting a St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Dance and Auction on Friday, March 17 in the Gibraltar Room at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
The event includes dinner, a DJ and dancing, a silent auction, a live auction, a cash bar and a free, safe ride home.
"We're really gearing up for it and it should be a good time," said Stampeders past president Marko Zurak, who is helping organize the event alongside the executive.
"We're trying to fundraise to go, but hopefully do enough to host it [the Coy Cup] again next year. Then in the summer we have a golf tournament planned, too."
As for auction items, Zurak said the community has been more than generous.
"We have quite a few things already and the community's sure been generous supplying us with auction items so we can do this," he said.
Doors to the event will open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $50 each or, there is an option to buy a table to get two bottles of complimentary wine and reserved VIP seating for $400.
Zurak has been involved with the Stampeders since 1999 and said he's enjoyed every year of it, and noted he thinks it's important for the community to support the hometown team.
"The Stampeders' first hockey game in Williams Lake was in 1936," he said. "We're not a business. We're an old, established, piece of history.
"It's awesome we've had such good crowds this year and, hopefully, a good crowd this Saturday, too. We're definitely just trying to host a fundraiser to get the community involved. I think it would be awesome to get enough funding done before September and we could apply to host the Coy Cup. Look at the crowds we had last time we hosted. The games were sold out."
Williams Lake defeated the Terrace River Kings on the road, 4-2, in game one of the best-of-three series in the Central Interior Hockey League playoff final this past Saturday.
Game two of the series goes this Saturday, starting at 7:30 p.m., at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex.
If necessary, game three of the series will take place Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the CMRC.
Tickets for the St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Dance and Auction can be purchased at Dairy Queen, Crosina Realty and Margetts Meats, or by calling Janna Gertzen at 250-305-9788.