Skip to content

Nine-ball tournament hits sixth year

Another tourney pocketed for the Okotoks 8-Ball league. The first George Carey 9-Ball Tourney had a showing of 12 people six years ago. The sixth annual tournament drew 49 competitors and 90 dinner guests.
Pool Tournament
George Carey, front, with his sons and grandsons, from left to right, Joseph Carey, Kevin Carey, Garth Carey, Bill Carey, Joel Carey, and Sean Carey held the George Carey 9-Ball Tourney at In Cahoots on Feb. 9.

Another tourney pocketed for the Okotoks 8-Ball league.

The first George Carey 9-Ball Tourney had a showing of 12 people six years ago. The sixth annual tournament drew 49 competitors and 90 dinner guests.

Started by past-president Ron Spencer and George’s oldest son, Bill Carey, the tournament has continued to grow and give back to the community every year.

“There was a lot of people in the league that knew George and he has been playing for so long that we thought it would be a good thing to have an annual tournament in his honour,” said Bill Carey. “And he is still actively playing, he just loves the game. He’s been playing for many, many moons and everyone in the league knows him.”

Each tourney raises money for the Okotoks Food Bank, Bill explained. Going to local businesses for donations of products or services to be raffled off, in addition to a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction on the night of the banquet, the tournament raised $3,700 last year. Carey doesn’t expect this year to raise quite as much, since the 2018 incarnation was celebrating George’s 90th birthday and was a bigger event, but still expects the contribution to the community to be significant in addition to celebrating his father.

“He loves it. It just warms his heart, with all these people. Everyone knows him and that’s why they’re here, because it’s George,” said Carey. “It’s nice to have that link to everyone within the league, and not only that we’re showing the community what we can do as a league, too.

“It’s really nice to have the generations all together, playing together. That means a lot to George too.”

The tournament’s namesake, George Carey recently celebrated his 91st birthday, though he’ll tell anyone who will listen that he just turned 19.

Having played pool since he was 12, George taught his sons and grandchildren the game, though he’ll claim that job is never done.

“I’m still teaching my kids how to play,” said George, with a conspirator’s wink.

The tournament
conclusion banquet on Feb. 9 had three generations of Careys, come together including his three sons, Bill, Kevin, and Sean, and four grandchildren, Joel, Garth, Trace and Brydan.

“It’s good, you know, when you get them all together, it makes you feel great,” said George of his family.

Above that, the tournament itself brings joy to George, who said he looks forward to it every year.

“One thing about the league here is you meet a lot of nice people, they’re all friendly. Everyone knows you by name,” said George.

His popularity is evident by all the people coming up to “old man Georgie” to share jokes and good-natured ribbing on who beat who, and of course buy him drinks.

Speaking with another of George’s sons, Sean, the tournament is a wonderful way to celebrate his dad.

“Pool has been a part of my dad his whole life, and he has passed that on to us growing up,” said Sean. “Somebody noted to me that my father is a mini-celebrity this time of year around here.

“This nice thing about [George being 91] is that he still plays, he participates and I think that’s what keeps him young, he gets to play with everybody of all different ages. He’s gotten to teach his grandkids how to play, my son is six years old and we have pictures of my dad teaching him how to play pool. He just takes the time with everybody, he’s a good man.”

As for the continuation of the tournament, Sean has no worries it will live on for years to come.

“He’s well known in the community, people really enjoy participating and being here with him,” he said. “It’s funny, one of us has to come and monitor George because he’s 91 years old and people buy him drinks all day.

“It’s getting hard to take for him, but everybody really appreciates that he’s here and they really have a lot of fun with him.”

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks