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Beast honor soldiers at annual Military Appreciation Day Game

Beast honor soldiers at annual Military Appreciation Day Game

Thursday, November 15th

Sunday, November 11 was a special day at the CAA Centre. That afternoon, the Brampton Beast hosted the Toledo Walleye in their fourth annual Military Appreciation Day Game.

This year’s event was especially significant as it was held on Remembrance Day, a day that Canada remembers the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

As part of the day’s events, the Beast players wore special Remembrance Day themed jerseys that featured military tributes on both the front and back.

Designed by Athletic Knit, the jerseys featured images from World War I, World War II and modern day, and also listed every major battle, campaign and operation the Canadian Armed Forces have been involved in for more than 100 years. The jerseys are currently available for bidding through Handbid until Monday, November 19.

Once again this season, Kotak Law Firm, a corporate partner of the Beast, donated 1,000 tickets for members of the military and their families to attend the game. Sunday’s game drew Brampton’s largest crowd of the season as 3,163 fans were on hand for the 8-6 loss against Toledo.

“Hockey is our national pastime. It’s our sport, we’re the best at it and my goal is to really align the charity with hockey,” said Nainesh Kotak, Barrister-at-Law, Solicitor & Notary Public. “I love going down to the games and the staff with the Beast are amazing. This is the fourth year we’ve done the Military Appreciation Game, and it just grows and grows every year.”

This year, in addition to the donation of 1,000 tickets, Kotak Law Firm donated $4,000 to Canadian Wounded Warriors to assist in their mission to make a significant impact in the quality of life of Canada’s ill & injured Armed Forces members, Veterans, First Responders and their families.

“Our Remembrance Day event is a great honor,” said Beast President and General Manager Cary Kaplan. “Once a year, we are able to transcend hockey and provide a thank you to all Canadians who have sacrificed their lives for our freedom.”

With this year serving as the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the event helped the Beast and their fans give a special thanks to veterans who have fought for their freedoms over the last century.

“I think the overall message is to really remember and think about our veterans and honor them,” Kotak said. “World War I is 100 years ago, but it is not forgotten. The sacrifices that our soldiers have made over the last 100 years have not and will not be forgotten.”

Despite a loss on the ice on Sunday, everyone was truly a winner as the Beast organization was able to pay tribute to active duty and veteran military.