Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Rick Vaive, Wendel Clark and Gary Leeman are among a star-studded lineup of former pros who will face off against a team of Stratford firefighters in a charity game benefiting Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth later this month.
Toronto Maple Leafs alumni Rick Vaive, Wendel Clark and Gary Leeman are among a star-studded lineup of former pros who will face off against a team of Stratford firefighters in a charity game benefiting Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth later this month.
“We hope it’s a fun night for families in the area,” said Lucie Stuart, the Stratford Perth Hospice Foundation’s fund development manager. “It’s a chance to get out … after two years of being stuck at home.”
The fundraising game, being organized in part by the charity Pro Hockey Heroes, will take place at William Allman Memorial Arena in Stratford March 19.
Joining Vaive, Clark and Antropov will be other former Leafs and retired pros, including Dave Hutchison, Mark Laforest, Nik Antropov, Dave McLlwain, Craig Muni, Ric Nattress, Bernie Nicholls, John Ogrodnick and Darryl Shannon.
Roddy MacDonald, the Stratford fire department’s director of fire prevention, said he’s missed these types of events while Ontario has been in an out of pandemic-related lockdowns over the past couple of years.
“It’s good to be able to get out as a group and show community involvement,” he said.
Plus, MacDonald added, it’ll be fun hitting the ice with some of his childhood hockey idols.
“Maybe I’ll get in a fight with Wendel,” he said with a smile.
Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth provides 24-hour specialized palliative care for its residents and their loved ones. More than 160 people have received end-of-life care at the hospice since it opened its doors in the summer of 2019, Stuart said.
The upcoming hockey game will be the Stratford Perth Hospice Foundation’s first in-person fundraiser in two years, though the foundation’s signature event – Hike for Hospice – has continued to run virtually. Last year, the hike raised more than $100,000.
“I think we’ve been able to weather the storm thanks to incredible community support,” Stuart said. “What we have missed out on is just being able to get out and continue raising awareness about our hospice. The families who have been able to use the hospice for their loved ones, they are tremendous ambassadors for us, but we still want to get back out there.”
Approximately half of the hospice’s funding comes from the Ministry of Health. The other half – needed for staff, utilities and food – comes from the community.
Families eligible for hospice care are not charged for the service.
“That’s why we have to fundraise,” Stuart said.
IF YOU GO
What: Members of the Stratford Professional Firefighter Association face off against a full lineup of former NHL hockey heroes in support of Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth.
Where: William Allman Memorial Arena
When: March 19. Doors open at 7:15 pm Puck drop is 8 pm
Tickets: $30, available at ProHockeyHeroes.com or by calling 1-800-516-5810.
more info: rotaryhospice.ca