Goderich man voted 'Best Local Hockey Supporter'

From left, Dirk and Mary Wolterbeek speak with Dave Brown of the Goderich Minor Hockey Association in Goderich, Ont. on Thursday, April 4, 2013.

A long-time coach has won $100,000 for the Goderich Minor Hockey Association after being chosen as Ontario’s favourite local hockey supporter.

Dirk Wolterbeek has been involved in local hockey for over 40 years, and after 750,000 ballots were cast, he received the most votes in Ontario in the Kraft Hockey Goes On program.

Wolterbeek began coaching local hockey in Goderich in 1971. He has also worked with his wife Mary to prepare meals for the Pee-Wee hockey players from across Canada for 30 years.

He says “Just one thing led to another thing, you know, we just did what we do, it’s just nothing elaborate or anything, it just ran into the next year…Oh it’s wonderful, it feels really good.”

Despite a recent battle with kidney failure, he joined his son to coach the Lions Club Goderich Young Canada Week Tournament, which he won in 1962.

In a statement, Jack Hewitt, vice president of marketing insight and services for Kraft Canada, said “We are proud to recognize those in Ontario and across the country who are at the heart of this nation’s sport and help to make a difference in their communities.”

Kraft partners with Christie, TSN, RDS and Hockey Canada for the Hockey Goes On program, which will award $1 million to Hockey Canada-affiliated minor hockey associations.

As for how the money will be spent, no decision has been made yet, but Dave Brown of the Goderich Minor Hockey Association has a few ideas.

“Training, like power skating and bringing skills and all that kind of stuff to benefit the kids and to teach the coaches some other aspects, to help the whole association, not just for the next year or so, but will helpfully benefit it down the road, five, ten years down the road.”

Read more about Dirk Wolterbeek on the Kraft Hockey Goes On website.