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Outdoor Hockey is cold, clean fun |
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February 27, 2003 |
| Dear Saskatchewan; |
| When Team Canada participates in the Olympics, the World Cup and similar international events, every Canadian dreams about winning a gold medal. Our national pride is on the line and we know that the best of the best are carefully chosen to represent us and wear Canada's colours. Every Team Canada represents an enormous outlay of effort, sacrifice and expenditure - on the part of the athletes, their families and the country as a whole. |
| I have a different dream: |
| From Feb. 27-29, 2004 I want to see children who play outdoor hockey, who may never be fortunate enough to play for Team Canada, to have the experience of winning Gold! |
| Over 400 Regina inner city children of every creed and colour play every week in our outdoor hockey league. Most of the parents of these children do not have the financial resources to enroll them in our tiered indoor hockey leagues. |
| Our outdoor hockey season extends from mid-December to mid-March, weather permitting. Most evening our kids play in -20ºC with the usual prairie wind chills. These boys and girls come to play fun safe, non-contact hockey for the love of the game - they have no other ulterior motive. |
| These kids have the same aspirations as their tiered hockey counterparts, but they know in their hearts that they will never win Gold because no one ever selects outdoor hockey players to play for Team Canada. |
| My dream is to organise a dream weekend for our 24 teams of outdoor hockey players. Every child who participates (regardless of whether the child's team wins or loses) in our World Cup format will win a gold medal and all of the trimming usually reserved for our elite athletes. It will include teams for children and youth aged 7-16, and is played over three days in the best indoor hockey rinks that Regina can offer. |
| We'll have opening and closing ceremonies, a sports dinner with inspirational speakers and lots of ice time. I want each team to wear jerseys representing one of the countries that normally participate in the World Cup. |
| I want to treat these kids like the champions that they are; I want them to remember this weekend for the rest of their lives. |
| I want the jerseys to be available to other teams as a legacy of the Dream World Cup. I know that the jerseys will give years of service not just for hockey teams but for all manner of sports that need something special to make their event memorable. |
| Help us to make our Dream Weekend come true. You can contribute your time or money in this inspirational event. We need all the help we can get. We need to raise funds for jerseys, transportation, meals, ice time and all of the other things that will go into making this a memorable weekend for hundreds of children and their families. |
| All donations (in excess of $10.00) will receive a charitable donation receipt for use with your income tax. Our non-profit entity number is 101031821. |
| I you want to donate money, make your chques payable to 2004 world Cup Dream Weekend Inc. and send it to: |
2004 World Cup Dream Weekend Inc. |
| I you want to contribute in some other way, please contact me by e-mail at debbie.jones@sk.sympatico.ca or by phone at 306 522 4529 |
| Yours truly, |
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| Ken Jones Chairman City of Regina Volunteer of the Year (1998-Outdoor Hockey) |