Hundreds of Toronto's biggest hockey fans faced off against NHL Alumni in support of research for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

TORONTO, May 8, 2017 /CNW/ - This past weekend, 29 hockey teams took to the ice with 27 NHL Alumni including Wendel Clark, Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald to participate in the 12^th Annual Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's™ in support of Baycrest. The hockey community came together to raise over $1.5 million for Baycrest Health Sciences, bringing the tournament's fundraising total to more than $33 million since its inception in 2005.

"Every dollar raised at this event supports groundbreaking research and care at Baycrest," says Josh Cooper, President and CEO of the Baycrest Foundation. "The impact is tangible. Our researchers are discovering new things about the brain every day and those learnings are being translated directly to frontline health care workers, both here in Toronto and around the world."

The largest on-ice hockey tournament began Thursday night with a suspenseful live draft at The Liberty Grand. Participants raced to increase their fundraising totals up to the last minute, battling for the chance to draft their hockey heroes before their competitors. The winning teams were the Scotiabank Canadians and Genumark, who raised a combined total of $331,494 and faced off for bragging right on Saturday during the Championship game alongside the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL).

Each of the 29 participating teams played in three games at Scotiabank Pond Friday and Saturday with the top 20 fundraisers earning the opportunity to play with NHL Alumni in the All-Star Game on May 5.

"We are proud to be the title sponsor of the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's™ in support of Baycrest," said Ajay Mundkur, Senior Vice President, Toronto Region at Scotiabank. "We support hockey at every level and understand the positive impact it brings to communities. This inspiring event is no exception, giving hockey fans an unforgettable weekend playing with hockey legends, all while raising money for an important cause. On behalf of Scotiabank, I want to personally thank everyone who dedicated their time and talents to making this year's tournament a fantastic success."

Scotiabank has been the title sponsor of the Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's™ in support of Baycrest since 2008, and has raised more than $3 million in support of the Baycrest Foundation. Other sponsors included the Liberty Entertainment Group, the NHL Alumni Association, the CWHL and Cara Foods who provided prizing in recognition of individual and team fundraising efforts.

The 13^th annual tournament will take place on May 3 to 5, 2018. Hockey players of all skill levels are encouraged to go to www.baycrestproam.ca to register their teams or to find out more about the tournament.

Scotiabank Pro-Am for Alzheimer's in Support of Baycrest – NHL Alumni Roster 2017

Nik Antropov, Pat Boutette, Wendel Clark, Paul Coffey, Dan Daoust, Tom Fergus, Al Iafrate, Tomáš Kaberle, Mike Krushelnyski, Mark Napier, Dennis Maruk, Lanny McDonald, Dave McLlwain, Dimitri Mironov, Bryan Muir, Craig Muni, Wayne Primeau, John Scott, Darryl Sittler.

ABOUT BAYCREST FOUNDATION:
The Baycrest Foundation supports programs and services that promote excellence in care, research, innovation and education in aging and brain health. As the charitable arm of Baycrest Health Sciences, the Foundation provides crucial funding for areas such as: ongoing programs and a continuum of care services for our community; innovative research into cognition, dementia and brain health; and local, national, and international education that supports healthy living for a growing population. For more information or to donate, visit www.baycrest.org/give

ABOUT BAYCREST HEALTH SCIENCES:
Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti – a free online memory assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Through its dedicated centres, the organization offers unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL^®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Vancouver Canucks^®, Winnipeg Jets^®, Toronto Maple Leafs^®, Ottawa Senators^®, Edmonton Oilers^® and the Calgary Flames^® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Bank also supports the Montreal Canadiens^®. Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program supports over 8,000 minor hockey teams in communities across Canada. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.scotiabank.com/the5thseason.

SOURCE Scotiabank