A toatl of 82 teams, no less than half of which came from out of town, were part of the recent Valley East Renegades Tournament, an event whose origins date back now more than forty years ago.

And still the group holds tightly to the mission that was an integral part of the core beliefs of a group of Valley East friends that came together through their love of sport, primarily slo-pitch, initially, but many others as well over the years.

"We give all of the monies that are raised back to charities or families that might have trouble paying for sports," noted long-time organizing committee member Gus Lescault. "We focus on the charities that are in Valley East, but we do donate to the Hospice (Maison McCulloch Hospice) as well."

While the tournament has held a traditional strong-hold within the houseleague hockey community, the group is open to including rep divisions as well, where there is interest, with six U12AA/U13A teams part of the field this year.

Still, there is a certain feel to the competition that is always staged near the very end of the hockey season.

"It's a very friendly tournament," said Lescault. "It's geared around good sportsmanship - and everyone gets a final."

While Jim McLoughlin is certainly the most recognizable face at the head of the organizing committee, he is certainly not alone.

"It's a really good group of guys," suggested Lescault. "We all get along."

And when you have been around as long as the Valley East Renegades Tournament has been, that element is absolutely critical.