DRYDEN – The Dryden Ice Dogs are gearing up for a special game.
On Jan. 19, the Superior International Junior Hockey League team will go up against members of Dryden Emergency Services for a fundraising game for local mental health initiatives at the Dryden Memorial Arena.
“It’s an event that is a lot of fun, but it’s also for a really good cause,” said Lori Russell, who is the fundraising and community events coordinator for the Ice Dogs.
This is the second edition of the Better Together for Mental Health game, which sees members of the Dryden Ontario Provincial Police, Dryden Fire Services and Northwest Emergency Service paramedics join forces.
The event was first held last January.
“The Ice Dogs are members of the CJHL (Canadian Junior Hockey League) and it’s mandated for teams to participate in mental health education awareness and support,” Russell said.
“We thought that it (the game) would be an amazing opportunity to work with our local emergency services to promote mental health education, resources and awareness to our community.”
The game itself is a lot different from what fans might expect from a regular Ice Dogs contest.
“We had some, I guess you can call them unique, plays taking place last year,” Russell said.
“We had a surprise guest skater with Sparky (the mascot for Dryden Fire Services) bringing his fire extinguisher out on the ice to create some good entertainment. We also had the police handcuff one of our players and make him join the emergency services team.”
“Everyone’s pretty excited about it happening again. Not only do you get to watch the local team, but you also get a chance to watch your friend, neighbour or family member go up against the Ice Dogs.”
The Better Together for Mental Health game gets underway at 11:30 a.m. at the Dryden Memorial Arena on Jan. 19.
Admission is $5 with those eight years of age or under getting in for free with a paying adult.
