Hockey equipment drive begins deliveries to Indigenous communities

After collecting around a thousand bags of donated hockey equipment and 2,000 sticks since April, Saturday's Indigenous Hockey Equipment Drive in Barrie began delivering to youth in 15 Indigenous communities across Ontario.

"This is like the peak of the mountain," said Graham McWaters, a Richmond Hill hockey dad who founded the equipment drive almost a decade ago. "We collect [equipment] all year, and now we're distributing it to all the communities that need it."

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McWaters and fellow hockey parent Rosemarie McKenzie began the equipment drive in 2015 by collecting and donating eight hockey bags of equipment and 20 sticks to Beausoleil First Nation. The drive has since become an annual initiative that has grown exponentially, with April's collection being its most significant yet.

"When you get three thank you's, you know you're doing good work," added McWaters. "When people donate to us, we say thank you, they say thank you to us for taking the gear and delivering it to the Indigenous communities. And then when we give the gear to the Indigenous communities, they say thank you."

McWaters and the 25-plus volunteers at the collection and delivery drives in Barrie had sorted the donated skates, gloves, helmets and other equipment in preparation for delivery.

"It's really nice to be able to help out the people that can't afford hockey gear," said Layla Blaire, a 12-year-old volunteer from the Barrie Sharks. "I love playing hockey. I've been skating since I was three years old, and it's really exciting and nice to help out the children that can't afford it."

Gary Newton travelled from the Nipissing region to pick up and deliver equipment to Dokis First Nation near Sudbury.

"Just the look on [the children's] faces says everything," said Newton. "Even though it's not brand new, it's new, and it means a lot to them. It means a lot to our community as well."

McWaters and fellow volunteers plan to finish this year's round of deliveries by November before beginning to collect donated equipment for next year's drive.