High Voltage Classic History

The High Voltage Classic (HVC) is a 32 Hour Charity Road Hockey Tournament presented by the University of Saskatchewan Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Student Branch. The IEEE is the largest international technical society in the world. It includes over 380,000 individual members in 150 different countries.

Over the past twenty three years the HVC has developed and grown immensely. Each year, this annual event donates 100% of its proceeds to a different local Saskatoon charity. Initially, this event was designed as a 24 Hour Charity Road Hockey Tournament. Due to its immense growth in popularity, the 6th Annual HVC expanded the event into a 32 hour tournament. HVCs' continued success and development has made the event the largest student run charity fundraiser in Western Canada.

In 1986, the donation was $3,400.00 in comparison to $23,700.00 donated in 2004. The following graph displays the general trend in the amounts donated each year.

Over the last twenty three years the HVC has raised over $300,000 for twenty one different Saskatoon charities. HVC's fundraising efforts have brought national recognition to both the University of Saskatchewan College of Engineering and the IEEE Student Branch. The 10th annual event made the March 27th, 1995 edition of Maclean's Magazine in an article entitled "He Shoots! He Scores!". In 1994, the College of Engineering was presented with the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students Western Region Charity Challenge Award for raising more money for charities in one year than any other Western Engineering College. HVC's charity donation within that year comprised 91% of our College of Engineering's total financial contribution towards charities. Over the past several years HVC has contributed 66% of the Engineering College total charities donations. The IEEE Student Branch was named the IEEE Canada George Armitage Outstanding Student Branch Award for our high participation in community and academic events; HVC was a major factor leading to our Branch receiving this prestigious title.

The 26th Annual HVC will take place on March 19th and 20th, 2011. The event will run for 32 consecutive hours, commencing at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 19th, 2011. The HVC is designed to allocate a maximum of 64 team entries with approximately fifteen players per team. The Charity Road Hockey Tournament takes place directly in front of City Hall, on the 300 block of 23rd Street East in Saskatoon.