- The Amerigol LATAM Cup is collecting food and clothing for Venezuela after June earthquakes killed more than 6,000 people
- Venezuela has four teams and 73 players in Florida and took U12 Select silver on Tuesday
- Read below for what the Venezuelan families said about the support showing up at the rinks
Venezuela’s teams came to Florida this week carrying a lot more than a tournament.
Ana Pena, whose 14-year-old son Christian Rivas Pena plays for Venezuela’s U16 team at the Amerigol LATAM Cup, was asked how the other countries at the rinks have treated the Venezuelan families since June’s earthquakes.
“It is heartwarming because we don’t feel alone. We have countries here like Argentina that we play against, their country has stepped up with rescue groups, rescue dogs and supplies. We play against Colombia, but we feel support from that community.”
The tournament has spent the week collecting canned goods, clothing and other supplies to ship to Venezuela, where a pair of earthquakes on June 24 killed more than 6,000 people. Justin Orbegozo, a 13-year-old center with eight assists through Tuesday, told NHL.com’s William Douglas what the drive has meant to his family.
“That means a lot to me. The entire tournament is coming together to help this one country that experienced really bad earthquakes, and that means a lot to me and my family.”
Take a look inside the rinks this week:
Four teams and 73 players made the trip up from Venezuela, according to Venezuelan Hockey Association president Juan de Dios Singer, who called the response from the rest of the field “huge.”
The U12 Select group took silver Tuesday after a 12-6 loss to Ararat HC, the team representing Armenia. Brazil finished with the bronze.
More than 1,500 players from 16 countries and territories are skating at the Panthers IceDen in Coral Springs and the Palm Beach Skate Zone in Wellington through Sunday. Sled hockey made its own debut at the tournament over the weekend.
Crews are still digging in La Guaira, the coastal state hit hardest on June 24. Here’s what World Central Kitchen found there over the weekend:
Danelia Perez, whose 10-year-old son Anthony Nheme played for Venezuela’s U12 team, talked about the bags of supplies arriving from rinks well outside Florida.
“I still have all my uncles and grandparents there, and they’re suffering. We got a bunch of bags right now from people from other rinks up north. And from this rink, we got some bags and a lot of help from other families.”
Perez summed up the week in one line.
“Hockey is awesome, and the hockey community is great.”
Pena’s ask for everyone outside the tournament is a longer one than a donation bin.
“We are asking people not to forget what happened and keep supporting us because reconstruction is going to take long.”
