Not all wins come on the ice or the
scoreboard. Not all lessons come with chalkboards or during
practice. Sometimes the wins come for hockey players from the life
lessons learned outside the arena walls. On Saturday October 5th one of those
lessons occurred just outside the arena walls as it turned out. Glen
Abbey Rec Centre was the host venue for the team’s charity Fun Drive. The
goal was to raise funds and awareness for Safety Net, a local charity helping
financially disadvantaged families.
The initiative was spearheaded by the team’s Charity Champion Danielle Tiemy, who liaised with Safety Net and came up with the strategy for success. The goal was to launch a community outreach platform to help gather gently used clothing and household items to donate to Safety Net. Parents Jeff and Wendy Deveaux were able to secure the use of a large truck from HOJ Car and Truck to gather the collected goods. Danielle created and shared a flyer that families used in the neighborhoods as well as on social media. Other parents brought snacks and donated their time to the collection efforts between 10:00-2:00 this past weekend. The entire parent group showcased incredible enthusiasm for the whole endeavor.
However the real stars of the day were the 10 year old players who embraced the initiative with awe-inspiring enthusiasm! Whether it was helping community members unpack their cars, loading up the truck, flagging down passers by or by politely asking the Rec Centre patrons for small donations, the boys inspired and impressed. The lessons the boys learned about giving back to their community can not be understated... Nor can the pride their parents feel in seeing the fine young men they’re becoming!!! The result of all the efforts was nearly 6,000 lbs of goods, which combined with the cash donations will allow the team to present Safety Net with a cheque for $1,000!
The team would like to thank HOJ Car and Truck, as well as patrons of Glen Abbey Rec Centre who stopped by with their goods and/or cash donations. It reflects very well on Oakville to have the spirit of generosity and kindness so readily shown.
Jeff Gilleland - Atom AE Head Coach
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