Summer Season Keeps Belleville Sens Busy Around the BoQ
For most hockey clubs, the summer slows down.
Players rest up before re-focusing on their offseason training, staff begin to put together the bones of the roster they hope to ice in the upcoming campaign, and fans turn their attention to their favourite summertime hobbies. And, while those things are true for the most part for the Belleville Senators as well, the summer season is also a chance to strengthen community connections and keep hockey on the brain when the temperatures rise.
Written by David Foot
Read time: 3 min
This is the third straight summer that Belly’s Community Crew has been travelling to events around the Bay of Quinte Region, bringing games, activities, giveaways and everybody’s favourite mascot, Belly, to support various community causes. Belleville Sens Coordinator of Community Events, Braiden De Vries, has been running the program for the past two seasons and says the buzz around the club never seems to fade through the offseason, and that was no different over the close to 20 events in the BoQ that they attended this summer.
“It’s been great. I think we really saw it during the playoffs with the community coming together and that kind of lingered into the summer with everyone wanting us to be at events,” said De Vries. “Seeing fans come from all over the Bay of Quinte to see the Belleville Senators and to see Belly, it’s been great.”
Being part of these events and initiatives is critical for the hockey club, which prides itself on being a strong community partner. And, as important as it is for the team to raise its profile through the summer, these event visits also have a significant impact on the organizations they support.
“On behalf of Discover Belleville and the free admission family festivals coordinated on behalf of the city, we want to recognize the value of our community partners like the Belleville Senators,” said Belleville Chamber of Commerce CEO Jill Raycroft. “Being on-site for hours and bringing Belly along for photo ops and high fives really helps entertain the families that attend. Thank you for making smiles happen!”
Among the supported events this season were the Belleville Waterfront Multicultural Festival and various charity golf tournaments. The team was also visible again at the annual Bay of Quinte Pride events at West Zwicks Park, continuing to help build community spirit and share the message that “Hockey is for Everyone.”
“Bay of Quinte Pride is always happy to welcome the Belleville Senators and especially Belly at our events!”, said Bay of Quinte Pride’s Lynn Olsen. “The Sens organization consistently supports the LGBTQ community. They hold an annual Pride game during the hockey season, they have taken part in our Pride parade, as well as Pride in the Park for the past three years, and we feel the hockey community as a whole is well represented by the Belleville Senators in their wholehearted support of the LGBTQ community. We thank you for all that you do!”
As they did on the ice in 2023-24, the Belleville Sens took another step forward in their summer community initiatives and will continue to build on that throughout the upcoming season and beyond. For more information on the Belleville Sens community initiatives, tickets, partnership opportunities and more, visit bellevillesens.com.
