(Photos: West Ottawa Ringette)
Last weekend the U14B “Flying Squirrels” traveled to the Pickering Tournament and came back with a gold medal – but that wasn’t the only meaningful event of the weekend. Not only did they attend the U14AA trophy naming ceremony (the trophy was named after Bob Bickerton, the grandfather of their teammate Kaitlyn Beach), but they also reached out to help a couple of women in the Ottawa community.
One of the planned social activities was to take some idle time and go shopping with teammates. They didn’t just shop for themselves. Each player went armed with $10 of their own money and a list of personal care items that would fill up two shoe boxes. The Shoebox Project is an international program which exists to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness faced by women living in shelters. A Shoebox gift is a powerful reminder for a woman that she has not been forgotten and that she remains a valued and respected member of her community.
This year, the players of the U14B Flying Squirrels are providing a Shoebox gift to two Ottawa women that will be spending this holiday season in a local shelter.
How can you learn more about the Shoebox Project? Check out their website http://www.shoeboxproject.com/. The local Shoebox Project for Kanata, Carp and Stittsville can be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/KanataStockingProject/.