A local hockey team will be making children in need happy this holiday season after a successful toy donation drive on Saturday.
All 17 players on the Ridge Meadows Rustlers U13 A2 team stood in the foyer at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge collecting new, unwrapped toys for children up to the age of 16.
They managed to collect 132 toy donations and $205, all of which will be going to the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society.
This is the first year the team decided to help the community and host the toy drive.
There was music playing throughout the day and players handed out candy canes, said parent Sarah Horn, with the local team.
Later in the day the team played the U13 A2 Vancouver Thunderbirds.
“This event could not have happened without the wonderful hard work and dedication of Alicia Ando, our team Fundraiser Coordinator, who played a key role in organizing and putting together this Holiday Toy Drive. Her efforts helped make the day such a success,” said Horn, noting that the players were excited to be part of something that gives back to the community.
“We were grateful to see such strong support from our association families, the local community, and even our opponents that day, the U13 A2 Vancouver Thunderbirds, whose players each brought a donation. This show of sportsmanship and generosity truly highlighted the spirit of hockey and community,” she added.
The Vancouver Thunderbirds would end up beating the U13 A2 Rustlers 4-1.