Thanking the centre
Highlanders host, Syrians drive and Clifford Street attends
On February 23, in an event organized by the Rotary Club of North Sydney, the Clifford Street Youth Centre attended the Cape Breton Highlanders basketball game.
In an arrangement made between the club and Mr. Tyrone Levingston, president and general manager of the Highlanders, 20 tickets were given so youths from the Clifford Street Centre could attend their first professional basketball game.
The Clifford Street Youth Centre was established by Constable Paul Ratchford in 2009 when he was community service officer for the Northside. For most of that time, along with Ratchford, Rebecca Walker has volunteered her time to run the various activities for the centre. This includes the daily “after school drop in’ and “snack” programs, as well as the longer summer programs and field trips.
Over that period of time the centre has helped hundreds of youths from pre-school to young teens to learn how to become better citizens.
More recently, Walker, who is presently taking her masters degree in psychology, has been able to receive partial funding to cover some of her time at the centre.
In addition, Adean Maclean and Michael Cantwell were added to the staff under a grant from Employment Nova Scotia while they are working on a film which will feature multidimensional aspects of poverty in Cape Breton.
To attend the basketball game, additional transportation was needed to transport the children. Rotarian Banks MacLean was asked to contact the Syrian families who had been welcomed to the Northside over the past two years. Though sponsored by Lifeline Syria, they had benefitted from additional financial and personal support from the club and individual Rotarians such as Banks and Elizabeth Cusack, as well as key people in the community such as Dr. Stephanie Langley, Clare Currie and Molly Ayers.
In an opportunity to “pay it forward,” the following people attended the Highlanders game, Rame Al Asfar, Mohammed, Raed al Masalmeh, Laith and Ghait. They offered to provide and assist with their two vans. Along with 12 children from the Centre, Rebecca, Paul, Adean and Michael, volunteer Bryden Orrell, and Rotarians Michael Johnson and Banks MacLean, the number attending the game was 22.
Mike Johnson who facilitated the event for Rotary, wished to thank Levingston and the Highlanders for their support to the community and the group from the Clifford Street Youth Centre.
“Tyrone has been an exceptional addition to Cape Breton and he and his team have done a tremendous job of joining and participating in many charitable and developmental needs within the local communities,” said Johnson.
“They also have a very entertaining product, and are currently in a fight for the last playoff spot in the National Basketball League of Canada. It would be great if the folks of Cape Breton reciprocated with the type of attendance that would make the Cape Breton Highlanders successful on the floor and at the box office.”
As for the game itself, despite the additional cheering from the Northside, and though supplying a consistent effort and much excitement, the Highlanders were not able to edge the firstplace Halifax Hurricanes.
As of today, March 10, the Highlanders have nine games remaining, including home games on March 30 and 31. Playoff participation for the Highlanders could very well be riding on these two games at Centre 200, so expect them to be intense and competitive.
After the game, the Clifford Street Group was able to meet and get autographs from some of the players and the Highland Girls Dance Team. And, Tyrone Levingston came to speak with the folks and youth from the centre and join in a picture.
In my last column, I credited MM Construction with financially assisting the Hurricanes Basketball Team but it is actually Dane Construction who provided funding to the team.