A full-sized van packed to the roof with hockey equipment was unloaded at Cedar Point this morning.

The bags were then lifted onto the ferry for the crossing to the Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island.

All of the equipment was donated by hockey families in Richmond Hill, to be gifted to young hockey players on the reserves.

“It ends up accumulating in the basement or in the storage area, and when you come to them and say you’ve got a good cause or someone who can use the equipment, they can’t wait to give it or donate it,” says volunteer Graham McWaters.

There were eleven bags filled with skates alone. The other 44 bags had every piece of gear a player might need.

“It’s like a little hockey Christmas for our kids. It’s nice to see them come, and their parents come out and help them try on gear, and it gets them on our rink,” says volunteer Rose Marie McKenzie.

Every year the community sends as many kids as possible to the “Little NHL”, it’s the big tournament for First Nation communities.

The gear also helps introduce kids to the sport, who might otherwise never get the chance to hit the ice.

“They need a helmet, skates, and a stick. It’s not a lot, but this brings the safety, and it covers everything,” says Tori Monague from Right to Play.

This is the third time organizers have guided the donation process from Richmond Hill to Christian Island.