Christmas came a week early for nine-year-old Patience Caldwell and 49 other deserving kids who gathered in the CN Centre parking lot for a gift presentation Thursday afternoon.
They got a big surprise when they arrived at the CN Centre parking lot and were each handed $100 gift vouchers to spend at Wal-Mart, paid for by earls restaurant in a joint promotion with the Prince George Cougars.
"This is such a nice thing to do, I think it's awesome," said Patience's mom, Jessica Hedrack, fighting back tears. "The only downside is I can't duplicate that for my own child."
Hedrack said her daughter could not believe it when she found out what was happening. To have the Cougars involved just made it that much better for the Harwin elementary school student.
"My daughter is really big into hockey -- the Cougars actually went to her school (to promote their Read to Succeed program) and sent their mascot there as well," said Hedrack.
"She's been talking about the Cougars and wanting me to get Cougar tickets, and I'm like, we can't afford Cougar tickets. And then this came up. It has more sentimental meaning to her than just shopping. They just made her week."
The kids were selected by the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Salvation Army and several other social service agencies. Because there were so many kids in need, names were picked in a random draw.
"I've had the idea for quite a few years and always wanted to put it together and never knew where to start or who to talk to," said earls Prince George franchise owner Dan Connelly. "I hope the kids just get to feel pure joy. I want to just make their day and let them have some fun and not feel the pressure they feel probably a lot more often than they should.
"I just want them to go in and have a great day. It doesn't matter if they go right to the toy department or if they buy soap and shampoo and socks and underwear. Maybe they'll buy something for their mom or grandma. Why not give something to these kids who don't get the privileges in life that we've been lucky enough to have. I hope the kids have a great day and remember it."
Asa Moran said he was going to spend his money on toys. His mom, Carly Krebs, said her son had no idea what was in store for him when he got the invitation from the Cougars.
"This is amazing, he thought he was just going to get to hang with the Cougars so he thought it would just be in the rink," said Krebs.
Cougar centre Justin Almeida looked forward to taking the kids through the store to help them pick out what they wanted.
"I know there are lot of unfortunate kids who can't afford to play sports and doing something like this and getting them presents for Christmas is really good on our part," said Almeida. "Just seeing kids smile is awesome. We just wish every kid could grow up playing hockey. This brings a smile to your face, for sure."
Connelly approached Gary Samis, the Cougars' corporate sales manager, with the idea he and his wife Carrie envisioned and the Cougars gladly accepted the invitation to participate. Cougars business manager Andy Beesley said despite the busy schedule of the players this week, having just returned from an eight-day roadtrip on Wednesday, the team didn't hesitate to get on board.
"The Prince George Cougars want to partner with anybody else who wants to make Prince George a better place to live, we want to be an important part of the fabric that makes this community good," said Beesley.
"This is a great opportunity to give back to the kids who are in need, but it's also a great opportunity for our players to be exposed to the power of giving and for them to realize they live a very privileged life. They're well taken care of and they have a fantastic opportunity to play hockey and have a future in hockey. There are some of our community who don't have the same opportunities and it's great for our boys to be exposed to that and to see there's another side to life and to show some appreciation for what they have."
