24-hour hockey game in Edmonton raises funds for young adults with cancer

Kids and coaches were up all night Friday playing hockey in Edmonton to raise money for young adults living with cancer. 

The initiative was inspired by Matt Cook, a former Alberta Junior Hockey League player from Edmonton who died of cancer in 2010. 

The game — which took place at the Canadian Athletic Club from 6:00 p.m. Friday to 6:00 p.m. Saturday — is a tribute to Cook and a great experience for the young players, said Tammy Coley, chairperson of the 24-hour Charity Challenge Game.

"That's pretty cool for them to get to stay up all night playing hockey," Coley said. 

Matt Cook, born in 1987, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, when he was 18 years old. After months of chemotherapy in 2006, his leg was amputated below the knee. 

Not long after, Cook began to play sledge hockey, and even made the Canadian national team. He was just 22 when he died. 

For 11 years, to honour his memory, power skating coaches have played 24 hours of hockey against young athletes to raise money for the Matt Cook Foundation, which supports young adult in-patients with cancer. 

"Matt inspired so many people through all of his health challenges," Coley said. "He certainly inspired us to want to do something in his name."

The foundation's mission is to make life more normal for other young adults dealing with cancer, its website says.

"The foundation does great work with young adults — so that 18 to 25 age group — which are a little bit of a forgotten age group," Coley said.

It supports teens and young adults by providing them care packages with things like iPads, headphones and other items to keep them occupied and connected while they receive treatment, she explained. 

This year's 24-hour charity game took place at