Breaking 15 balls to support victims of child abuse

Pool players in Winnipeg shot their breaks for a good cause on Saturday.

Pool players shot their breaks to support a noble cause – supporting victims of child and youth abuse.

On Saturday, Lee-Ann Snydal, a longtime supporter of the Toba Centre for Children and Youth, hosted her annual pool tournament fundraiser. The event took place at Hidden Pocket Billiards, Bar and Bistro at 121 Scurfield Boulevard in Winnipeg.

With 105 players hitting the cue ball, all proceeds from the event will support the centre for “whatever they might need,” Snydal said on Saturday.

“Sometimes (the youth) are there for a long time, so snacks and treats … arts and crafts supplies, unfortunately – medical supplies.”

Entering its seventh year, Snydal said the community’s support has cumulatively exceeded $75,000.

“They are making a difference in the kids’ lives.”

Some of the returning players, described as “loyalists” by Snydal, go beyond hitting the balls.

“Some of them are dragged to other Toba Centre fundraisers just because I asked them to. The support has just been amazing. I’m going to ride it for as long as I can,” she said.

Snydal, a former bookkeeper with the centre who is also a long-time league pool player, said she simply tapped into what she knew – to support the centre’s cause.

“I have had people in my life over the years that have experienced (the child abuse), but that’s not my story to tell.

“I think for the most part everybody agrees that ‘child’ and ‘abuse’ shouldn’t be in the same sentence.”

More information about the Toba Centre for Children and Youth is available online.