Annual Toronto Police Soccer Tournament Supports Students with Disabilities
Nearly 200 uniformed and civilian members of the Toronto Police Service, representing most divisions across the organization, took part in the 16th annual six-a-side soccer tournament at Major League Sportsplex in Scarborough on May 28.
The tournament was founded in 2011 by detectives Andrea Dagonas and Cory Butler and has since become a popular event that promotes camaraderie, wellness and community involvement among members of the service.
“As a police service, we should be very proud of the number of our members that play this sport,” said Butler.
In addition to fostering teamwork and healthy competition, the annual tournament serves as a fundraiser for a charitable cause. For the fifth consecutive year, proceeds from the event were donated to William J. McCordic School which serves students with disabilities.
“Cory and I firmly believe that this school is essential to our community, and we want to continue supporting them as best as we can,” said Dagonas. “We are so inspired by the work that staff do, caring for and educating some of the most vulnerable children in this city. We want to thank them for everything they do.”
First-year principal Simone Austin and vice-principal Marie Clarke accepted the donation on behalf of the school.
“This is an important opportunity for our students given they are among the most vulnerable,” said Austin. “Our parents appreciate every opportunity we can provide for our students, whether that is field trips or activities that we can bring into the school.”
Inspector Erin Hanlon, who participated in the inaugural tournament, said the event serves as a meaningful way to recognize and celebrate the contributions of frontline emergency service workers.
“We often talk about emergency service providers as heroes because they work with some of the most vulnerable people in our society every day,” she said. “They don’t always receive the recognition they truly deserve. You have the utmost admiration of everyone here for the work that you do every day.”
In addition to donating funds to the school, tournament organizers also covered the cost of transportation for students attending the event, paying for the bus that brought them to the venue.
Nearly $6,500 was raised through the tournament, including donations from the Toronto Police Association and the Toronto Police Amateur Athletic Association.
On the field, 14 Division captured the competitive division championship, while Intelligence won the recreational division title.
Krista Balachorek and Marco Duarte were named Most Valuable Players, while Mike Ghazarian and Steevens Audige earned Best Goalkeeper honours.
