Beer leaguers forward rink refunds to Mission
Old-timer hockey players turn over more than $10,000 to help during crisis
In many ways, it’s the ultimate Canadian fundraising campaign.
A pair of Ottawa-area old-timer hockey beer leagues have donated more than $10,000 to the Ottawa Mission, the Ottawa Food Bank and CHEO, receiving gratitude from those most in need during the novel coronavirus crisis.
“It was a series of no-brainers, from our point of view,” said Patrick Esmonde-White, a spokesman for the Hockey Legends, a group of 60- and 70-somethings who play three times a week during hockey season at the University of Ottawa.
Now, they’re hoping they can inspire a social media campaign of sorts — #HockeyLegendsHelp — across the country, believing that other adult sports groups will also reach out to help the hungry, the homeless and those with significant health concerns.
The idea started simply enough.
After Ottawa shut down city services in March, arena doors were closed, resulting in the end of the season for the Hockey Legends.
Don’t let the name fool you. They are legends of the game in their dreams only — EsmondeWhite jokes they might be more aptly named the “Hockey Leg Ends” — but their hearts are in the right place.
When the rebate for the lost ice time rolled in, the players held a vote to ship the “found money” where it could be of some help. With a few top-up donations and the tax credits for charitable donations factored in, the group raised $7,000 for the Mission and the Food Bank.
“It’s a really good group of guys,” Esmonde-White said. “That was easy.”
Good news travels fast in hockey circles.
Mark Gwozdecky, the administrator of the Champlain Park old-timers’ league, heard about the idea because he occasionally serves as a spare with the Hockey Legends.
He brought the donation idea back to his own 25-member group.
“We were sitting on about $3,000 in refunds for the Champlain group,” Gwozdecky said.
“I didn’t know all their economic situations, so I told them it was strictly voluntary, but to a man, everyone came back to say they wanted to help. The money was already spent. Nobody was interested in taking the money back.”
The cash is a welcome bonus for the groups that need it most amid all the uncertainty, trying to find the funds for a patchwork plan during the pandemic.
“Please thank those hockey guys,” said Peter Tilley, chief executive of the Ottawa Mission. “We’ve really been whacked by (the coronavirus). All of our lives and worlds have been turned upside down by this. We’re constantly dealing with challenges here, but this (crisis) has really changed things for us.”
The Mission, which typically hosts 250 guests per night, was forced to close its doors to non-residents because of health concerns.
“With physical distancing, you can imagine how compressed our environment is,” Tilley said.
Due to those physical-distancing rules, guests with mental health and addiction issues can no longer engage in one-on-one and group meetings with their counsellors. Accordingly, the Mission has been busy trying to obtain laptops and tablets so that its visitors can be involved in support sessions through Zoom or Skype. There have been hiccups along the way.
“We’ve had some relapses,” Tilley said.
The search is also on for PPE equipment for the support staff, including kitchen workers. There’s a particular demand for masks, goggles and gowns.
While the Mission is no longer allowing non-residents to enter the building for meals, they’re serving 1,000 takeout meals a day for those in desperate need.
“It’s hard on everyone,” Tilley said. “But it’s like lining up outside Walmart, with everyone six feet apart.”
There are similar scenes playing out across the country, of course, and that’s where there’s hope that an extension of the #HockeyLegendsHelp campaign comes in.
The Ottawa old-timers’ groups suggest there must be associations of players in similar situations across the country, also looking for ways to help.
“I heard from some Dragon Boat (Festival) guys, that they’re going to use their unused money to donate,” Gwozdecky said.
“It could be any group. It doesn’t have to be hockey. It could be figure skaters who have unused money. That’s the beauty of it.”
By their very nature, hockey players — even recreational players who are retired from their day jobs — maintain their competitive spirits. In this case, the challenge is to see if pickup players in other cities can follow suit.
“I’ve checked in with a few guys (elsewhere) during the past few days,” Esmonde-White said. “If we can reach a certain total in Ottawa, maybe we can see if there are other cities who can pick up on it, too.”
I told them it was strictly voluntary, but to a man, everyone came back to say they wanted to help.