Thanks to support from local hockey families, the Friendship Novice Hockey Tournament was able to give back.

Receiving the cheque for $2,000 from this year's tournament is the Bangsund family. Josh and Caitlin Bangsund's daughter Macey, 3, is battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and was diagnosed with the disease Dec. 2014.

Bangsund says the support shown for her family has been amazing.

"It's interesting because you don't ever expect that you would have to need that kind of support. Everybody likes to be 'Super Mom' and self sufficient and all of a sudden you go 'no, I'm going to accept whatever help and whatever offers', we've been put in this position and it means a lot when you see the community reaching out to you."

Jennifer Zaffino, co-coordinator of the tournament, says it's great to give back.

"It's crazy how you have different families but our hockey family is really supportive in everything that everybody does. I think everybody comes together no matter what the situation is and unites together and goes forward."

Bangsund's sons Hudson and Sawyer both play hockey in Okotoks.

She says the love shown by their teams and others helped to lift their spirits.

"When our team decided to tape their sticks and wear the Leukemia ribbons and all that this year it really meant a lot because we were able to say 'you're making a difference because you're just giving us that little extra bit of fight because we know you're there supporting us and playing hard for us'."

The Friendship Tournament began 27 years ago by a local RCMP officer who lost his novice aged boy to Leukemia.

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