A holiday tradition gives back
A46 year old New Years tradition in Lennoxville took on a new kind of significance at the end of December. According to Kevin Frost, one member of a group of friends that has been getting together to play hockey every year on December 31 since he was 12 years old, the 2017 game became a fundraiser for the Oncology Department of the CHUS in Fleurimont.
“It started out with about a half dozen buddies here in Lennoxville,” Frost said, explaining that the game started as an outdoor pickup game organized by Kevin Dougherty at Optimist Park. Over the years, as people got older, the New Year’s game became a more formal social event that people began to plan their vacations around. In recent years, he continued, Eric Mckeage has been the driving force behind getting the game together at its new home in the Jane and Eric Molson Arena at Bishop’s University.
Frost said that there are several local hockey games throughout the year that give to local charities, but that this is the first time that the New Year’s game was associated with a cause. The player pointed out that although there are many important and worthy charities, the local group likes to act as “silent Santas” in situations where they can see their donation making a direct impact. “We collected all the funds,” Frost said explaining that “particular circumstances” inspired the group to donate the money to the CHUS, and attributing the idea to Mckeage.
“You almost get to look the person you’re helping right in the eye,” Frost said estimating that that the total amount raised for the local oncology department would have been between $800 and $1000.
Aside from the benefits of doing good for the world, Frost added that the game provided the usual social gathering as well.
“We had a real good laugh together,” he said.