Ontario communities lace up to help end youth homelessness

(SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY) - The OPP is organizing more than 30 hockey challenge events across the province in partnership with local communities, to raise awareness about youth homelessness.

The events began in December, 2016, and will run through March, 2017. Sportsnet will produce a feature that will air on Feb. 18, Hockey Day in Canada, that highlights the hockey challenge and the OPP's involvement with The Push for Change.

As part of its community safety partnership with The Push for Change, the OPP is mobilizing and engaging with youth and various stakeholders in more than 170 community-based events, such as hockey games, as well as Sleep Out Challenges and community meals. These events raise awareness about the risk factors and vulnerabilities affecting homeless youth, while fostering positive connections among the OPP, youth, families, stakeholders and communities.

The Push for Change is a national awareness and youth empowerment campaign, focused on ending youth homelessness. From May 1, 2016, to Sept. 30, 2017, Joe Roberts – a former street youth turned successful entrepreneur – is pushing a shopping cart 9,000 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness of, and help end, youth homelessness.

The OPP Push for Change hockey challenge helps create positive momentum and multiplies efforts to educate people about, and eliminate, youth homelessness, one community at a time.

"The Push for Change is a perfect opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and partners to spread awareness about homeless youth and help mitigate the underlying risk factors that lead to the vulnerability of homelessness," says OPP commissioner J.V.N. (Vince) Hawkes.

"Having the OPP as a community safety partner helps both our organizations engage Ontario communities with a shared message on what we need to do to prevent, reduce and end youth homelessness," says Roberts.

"Each year, Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada features positive initiatives across the country where hockey can help make a difference, and The Push for Change is a great example of how the OPP and Joe Roberts are making an impact," says Joel Darling, executive producer, NHL Special Events - Rogers Sportsnet Hockey.

The South Bruce OPP event is scheduled to take place Feb. 18, from 1-3 p.m., at the Davidson Centre, Kincardine. There will be a round-robin hockey tournament, among South Bruce OPP, Kincardine Fire and Emergency Services, and the Kincardine District Secondary School teachers/students, with help from Stanley Cup winners Greg Devries and Boyd Devereaux, and World Junior Bronze medalist Mark Bell.

Further information about The Push for Change campaign is available at www.thepushforchange.com. Further information about the OPP Push for Change community safety partnership may be found at www.opp.ca.