Barrie is aiming to tackle homelessness and will rely on the national game to do so.
Hockey Helps the Homeless is coming to Barrie on March 4, 2016, and is bringing some well-known names with it to make it a great event.
The announcement was made last night at Donaleigh’s Pub and Redwood Park Communities and The David Busby Centre will be the charitable recipients.
Tim Kent and his wife Rhonda founded the hope through housing movement and sees the collaboration with HHTH as a blessing.
“Having this event in Barrie is unbelievable in terms of raising awareness for homelessness,” said Kent. “I think what a lot of people don’t understand is that’s for everybody. It can affect your parents as they age, it can affect your sister, yourself if you lose your job; it really is a problem with many different folks.”
Mayor Jeff Lehman was on hand as well and was honest in forthright in his thoughts on not only the upcoming event and what it means to Barrie, but also his feelings on the city’s current situation with homelessness.
“Imagine your life as it is, coming home at the end of a long day and instead of a warm house, you’re coming home to a cardboard box or a wooded unsecure area,” said Lehman. “Barrie has a homelessness problem and we’re doing a bit to counter it with the help of Redwood Park and the David Busby Centre.”
The funds that are raised for the March 4 tournament will go directly to RPC and DBC in the form of sponsorship from local businesses and those who want to give. Sponsors will draft a team of 14 players and your team gets their own professional looking jerseys with your logo on the sweaters as well.
Team members get seats at the VIP reception table and enjoy a wonderful dinner that night.
The really fun part for teams is two players will be professionals from the game that have made themselves available for the event.
Sponsors get the opportunity to draft two former pros and play alongside those who have been ambassadors for the game of hockey for years.
Former Leafs greats Gary Leeman and Bob McGill were on hand in Barrie last night and are proud to be involved with this charitable event and know that it’s something that registers with all Canadians for a cause that touches so many.
“Hockey Helps really does this right,” said McGill. “I mean, it’s not only a great cause and helps those who really need the help, but it does it in a fashion that appeals to us as hockey fans. Who doesn’t dream of drafting a team to win a few games? It makes it fun for all involved and that includes us as former pros who get to interact with folks who enjoy meeting us and chatting about the past.”
“That’s the really cool part for the teams who are giving the money to help here,” said Leeman. “It’s not always what you see on the ice, it’s the hanging out in the dressing room and giving people the chance to just talk about old stories we may have for them. Sometimes we don’t think our old stories are all that interesting but to the fans, who have watched the NHL for years, they like to talk and laugh about stuff and that’s really nice for us.”
Last year’s inaugural Barrie HHTH raised $37000 for the David Busby Centre.
DBC Executive Director Sarah Peddle is overwhelmed by the support of many in the community showed by coming out to the HHTH Barrie announcement.
“This is super exciting, we are so touched to just be a part of this event,” said Peddle. “We are a small grassroots organization, so to see our logo on such a big event is just amazing.”
Many of the dignitary speeches, while informative and important, were secondary to the testimony by a lady named Jennifer who told of her fleeing an abusive relationship with her young child, having nowhere to go and getting the help needed from the RPC.
Having nothing at one point in her life and not knowing where she and her eight month old would go, the determined mother is now nearly completed her university education and happy with her life for the first time in a while.
HHTH Executive Director Gary Scullion reiterated the main reason the event hits many local hockey markets, from the NHL level to the OHL level.
“That lady’s testimony is why we do what we do,” said Scullion. “we may organize the event, but it’s the folks that receive the help and better their lives that are the real inspiration.”
For more information on how to help and get involved, check the website at http://www.hockeyhelpsthehomeless.com
(PHOTO: Shown are Gary Leeman (former NHLer), Jim Fockens (from Freedom 55), Stew Garner (chairman with HHTH), Bob McGill (former NHLer) at a recent event promoting Hockey for the Homeless. Shawn Gibson for BarrieToday.)
