The Newmarket Redmen Peewee 'AE' team spent the month of October by collecting gently used coats as part of the Newmarket Lions & Lioness' Coats for Kids Drive, as well as collecting money during home games for the Pink in the Rink fundraiser.
With a commitment to 'Giving Back' in the community as part of their pre-season sponsorship drive, the boys followed up their visit to the Food Pantry in September with further volunteer initiatives within their neighbourhood, while also serving as tremendous team bonding opportunities.
Using pink tape throughout the month on their sticks and equipment, the Redmen collected donations at all their home games, which was then donated to the Canadian Cancer Society, and followed that up by meeting at the beginning of November to sort through the garbage bags full of jacket, hat, glove and clothing donations for The Lion & Lioness Club of Newmarket.
As a staff, we could not be more proud the boys commitment to the off-ice endeavours, which were recognized recently in the Newmarket Era by John Cudmore:
https://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/9005633-newmarket-redmen-peewees-might-give-you-shirts-right-off-their-backs/
Charity doesn’t necessarily mean giving the coat off your back.
For the members of the Newmarket Redmen peewee AE team, it could.
The team of 2006-born hockey players is collecting outgrown and unused clothing for the Newmarket Lions and Lioness’ Coats for Kids drive.
Last month, it was volunteering at the Newmarket Food Bank. Ditto for last Christmas holiday season.
As for the latest act of kindness, team mom Luisa Lloyd, who organized the drive, is the player behind the players.
“There’s an awareness and getting hands-on experience in your community’s area of need, whether it is on a food or clothing front, to help families in need,” said Lloyd, whose husband Andrew is an assistant coach with the Redmen.
Her dining room was being used as a staging area and was overflowing with dozens of bags of winter coats and winter apparel a week before the Nov. 8 deadline, destined for the Lions and Lioness drop-off location. “The kids love the fact [that] their clothing is being donated to people in need.”
Lloyd organized similar programs at Rogers Public School in Newmarket, where she teaches, and Crossland Public School, where her sons attend. For her school, it is the second straight year that she has organized the drive.
“It is a ripple effect from last year,” she said, pointing out the team also participated in the hockey-themed Pink In The Rink initiative for breast cancer awareness during October home games. “So, what better way than to make it two schools and a hockey team.”
The players were to make their delivery and then head to practice to complete their night.
The Coats for Kids Store is open on Saturdays until mid-March, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and allows families in need at no cost to select warm winter clothing articles in infant to adult sizes at its location at 1271 Gorham St., Unit 8.
The store is also open until Christmas on Wednesday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.