London, ON – Weaving the puck through obstacles and shooting at the goalie one-on-one — these are what hockey dreams are made of. Cooper Tires of Canada was able to create a dream experience for 14 young people on Sunday in London Ontario. When given the chance for an on-ice activation as a partner of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup, Cooper Tires of Canada engaged another of their partners – Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS). Cooper Tires created an on-ice hockey experience that brought 14 participants from the Toronto program to London to experience the Memorial Cup and play in a short skills competition during the first intermission. Different from most young teams that would typically have the chance to play at an intermission during a CHL game, HEROS is a volunteer-driven not-for-profit organization that uses the game of ice hockey to teach life-skills and empower Canada’s at risk youth. The organization provides free hockey programs that aim to engage, educate and inspire young people to succeed both on and off the ice. The full day excursion began with a tireless volunteer, Tony Wray who assembled all of the HEROS participants and prepared them for a once in a lifetime experience. After a two hour drive, HEROS arrived at the rink and were given a tour that included a peek inside the London Knights’ home dressing room. They were greeted by players who were kicking a ball around for the pre-game warmup and even got to visit the mobile Hockey Hall of Hall of Fame at the Fan Fest outside. During the game the HEROS participants had great seats with Walter Gretzky sitting directly behind them. He obligingly signed autographs for every one of the kids. When the stage was set, the kids laced up and took to the ice in front of nearly 10,000 fans. Cooper Tires were set up in an obstacle and HEROS players skated through each with a shot on the goalie. After a lighting-fast time on the ice, HEROS were greeted by former NHL player Serge Payer who reiterated HEROS message that hockey is a catalyst for success in life. Education and discipline are keys to reaching your dreams. HEROS would like to thank their partners Cooper Tires of Canada, the CHL and everyone who made this experience a reality!
Cooper Tire Bring HEROS to Memorial Cup
