Hockey game, cancer fundraiser to honour organizer's mother

The Sault’s Ashley Barton is organizing a local women’s hockey game designed to raise funds for ovarian cancer research.

For Barton, it’s personal.

Her mother Judy Barton, after undergoing chemotherapy treatments in Sault Ste. Marie and surgery in London, Ontario died of ovarian cancer in the Sault April 8, 2020, in the presence of her family.

“She was my best friend,” Ashley said in a phone interview with SooToday. 

Barton is a registered nurse who works for Health 811, a toll-free Ontario government phone service through which Ontario residents can obtain healthcare advice or get more information on health services.

The hockey fundraiser will be played beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the John Rhodes Community Centre.

Barton said Sault Female Hockey Association players and friends will be lacing up their skates and taking to the ice for the fundraiser.

She’s encouraging young women and their mothers to sign up.

“I want to have both mothers and daughters on the teams. My mom didn’t play hockey but she loved watching hockey and we would often watch hockey together. She went to my hockey games as I was growing up and as an adult. I thought it would be pretty cool to have other mothers and daughters playing together,” Barton said.

“So far I have about 17 signed up and I’m hoping for more. If I can get another 10 players per side then we can play five-on-five, otherwise, we’ll do three-on-three hockey.”

Funds raised will go to Ovarian Cancer Canada for ovarian cancer research.

Women can sign up to play for $60 and are also asked to raise funds through pledges if possible. Spectators at the game are asked to make a donation to the cause.

Barton’s original fundraising goal was $1,000 but $1,550 was raised as of Monday, April 15.

“Ovarian cancer remains the most fatal women’s cancer in Canada and of the 3,000 women diagnosed annually more than half will not live five years past diagnosis,” according to Ovarian Cancer Canada.

“I want to do something in my mother’s memory to raise money for ovarian cancer research in the hope that no one should have to go through what she went through and what we went through as a family,” Barton said.

She said that good memories of her mother and her Christian faith strengthen her as she and her family continue to cope with their loss.

Those wishing to donate to ovarian cancer research can do so at the Ovarian Cancer Research website. 

Women can register to play in the May 11 hockey fundraiser at the John Rhodes Community Centre by contacting Ashley Barton by email and provide:

• full name 
• address
• state if you are living with ovarian cancer or have a family member or friend who has been diagnosed with the disease
• state if you are a health care provider or 'other'