Police, Fire, KDSS ready to face off in The Push for Change Hockey Challenge

“Youthful exuberance will defeat veteran savvy. This challenge is all about young and fast, versus old and slow.”

Those were the fighting words from Peter Wolfe of Kincardine District Secondary School (left, in photo at right, with South Bruce OPP constable Dave Hackney and Kincardine firefighter Mike Drake).

Staff and students at the high school will be taking on the South Bruce OPP and the Kincardine Fire Department in The Push For Change Hockey Challenge.

The charity hockey game is slated for Saturday, Feb. 18, from 1-3 p.m., at the Davidson Centre in Kincardine, in support of Joe Roberts, a former street-youth-turned-successful-entrepreneur who started The Push For Change to end youth homelessness.
 
May 1, 2016, Roberts began in St. John's, Newfoundland, with a goal of pushing a shopping cart 9,000 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness and funds to help end youth homelessness. The OPP is partnering with The Push For Change as Roberts travels across Ontario, encouraging everyone to work together to make sustainable change for youth.

South Bruce OPP constable Dave Hackney welcomed media Thursday afternoon to discuss the charity hockey game.

He said Roberts was able to turn his life around thanks to an intervention by an OPP officer (now retired). “The OPP is supporting his efforts, with 150 events going on in Ontario, including 30 hockey challenges.”

The game in Kincardine will see the KDSS staff and students, the police, and firefighters play a round-robin event, with the winner receiving a small trophy of some description, said Hackney. The players will be assisted by former NHL'ers: Greg de Vries who will captain the OPP team; and Boyd Devereaux who will captain the KDSS team; and World Junior Bronze medalist Mark Bell who will captain the fire department team.

“It's going to be an entertaining game, with the former NHL players on hand for photos and autographs,” said Hackney. “We chose Feb. 18 because it's Hockey Day in Canada.”

Admission is $5, with tickets available at KDSS, the fire station, the police detachment office, and at the door. A donation box will also be set up at the game.

Half of the funds raised will go to The Push For Change, said Hackney, with the other half will going to the local YMCA housing service.

Hackney emphasized that the charity hockey game is about raising funds, and awareness, about youth homelessness in the Grey-Bruce region and across the country through Roberts' The Push For Change campaign.

In response to Wolfe and his KDSS team, Hackney said it's going to be a challenging game but the police have a distinct advantage, with a few surprises up their sleeves.

“Most of our chirps happen on the ice,” responded Mike Drake of the fire department.

“It's going to be a lot of fun,” added constable Kevin Martin, community services officer. “You don't want to miss it!”



Peter Wolfe (left) of KDSS and Mike Drake (right) of the Kincardine Fire Department, pretend to rough up South Bruce OPP constable Dave Hackney, at the announcement of The Push for Change Hockey Challenge, Thursday afternoon at the OPP detachment office in Kincardine

As of Thursday evening, Roberts was in Hawkesbury, about halfway through his trek, having walked 4,905 kilometres, with 4,095 kilometres to go. He is expected to reach Vancouver by the end of September, 2017.

For more information about The Push For Change, check the website at www.thepushforchange.com.

Joe Roberts (right, with his shopping cart, waving the Canadian flag; photo courtesy of The Push For Change website)