St. Timothy High School will host its fifth annual Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (SKCAC) Benefit Charity Hockey game on Dec. 21. The game pits the students against the school's current and former teachers who also manage to get a little bit of big league reinforcements. Last year, the game featured three former National Hockey League (NHL) players in Kennedy, Colin Forbes and Curtis Glencross who could once again make an appearance with the addition of Calgary Inferno forward Laura Dostaler. Calgary Flames forward Dillon Dubé may also take part in the game, should he be back in Calgary from his recent re-assignment to the American Hockey League's (AHL) Stockton Heat. Kennedy, a former member of the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, as well as the National Hockey League’s Detroit Red Wings, the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins, devoted his post hockey career to child abuse prevention and education after he dealt with sexual abuse growing up. Along with his business partner, Wayne McNeil, he owns and operates Respect Group Inc., which provides training to thousands of people with messages and tools of empowerment to help people involved in amateur sport and education systems prevent bullying, harassment and abuse. "We're very excited. I think it's something all the staff and students really look forward to throughout the year ... it's one of our biggest fundraisers during the year and our student and staff buy in is always really good," said organizer Leo Keefer. "The support from the community was awesome this year so we have some really great silent auction and raffle items that are available at the school. So if anyone is interested in buying raffle tickets or putting a bid down on the silent auction you can go through myself or the school in order to do so. People from the community can do that, or can show their support by coming out to the game themselves. It's $5 per person or $10 per family, where we'll have the raffle and silent auction tables as well. We'd love for people to come down and show their support." Keefer, who took over for Kevin McLellan who switched schools, who was instrumental in organizing the game over the last four years, said it was important for the game to continue even in his absence. "Kevin (McLellan) spent a lot of time building this event up to be what it has been and it's turned into such a community school event and when it was brought up at the beginning of the school year whether we should continue doing it, it was a unanimous yes," Keefer said. "Just because of the school spirit and because it's for a good cause. All the proceeds go back to the Sheldon Kennedy Advocacy Centre and we feel it's an important charity to give back to. Kids in our community as well as in Calgary are using that facility on a daily basis." "That being said, we really couldn't have successfully put this game together without the help of the community and all the sponsors, some of whom have supported the game since the start."
