Charlottetown’s Marcus Kearsey wins Humanitarian of the Year Award
The QMJHL is proud to announce that Marcus Kearsey of the Charlottetown Islanders is the winner of the Humanitarian of the Year Award for his outstanding community involvement.
Marcus has been a prized asset for his community throughout the season, spearheading several community initiatives including the creation of the Kearsey’s Kids program. The defenseman invited a child to every Islanders home game “to give back to kids who aren’t as fortunate as I am,” he said.
Marcus also represented the team in the “Hockey Gives Blood” campaign, got involved with Charlottetown’s Humaine Society Animal Shelter to encourage adoption, participated in several minor hockey practices and a ball hockey tournament, helped promote the 24Strong dance studio, donated his time to the Make-a-Wish Foundation and met with youngsters at Corner Brook Intermediate to talk about combining sports and studies.
“My parents talked to me about the importance of giving back to the community from a young age, says Marcus. So it’s important to me. Sometimes, a small gesture can mean a lot to others. Seeing the smiles on the faces of young people and parents is truly an indescribable feeling.”
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The finalists were:
Jacob Mathieu, Rimouski Océanic
Jacob has been very active in the Rimouski region, leading the Océanic’s pledge to plant 68 new trees around the Colisée Financière Sun Life in May of 2024. As part of the “Month of Little Heroes” campaign, he asked the Fondation Santé Rimouski to organize a drawing contest for sick children, with the winners seeing their drawings reproduced on the skates of Océanic players. He also took part in a campaign to raise awareness for safe driving habits in school zones, in partnership with the Sûreté du Québec. During spring break, Jacob set up, with the help of Sun Life, a passport that allowed youngsters to attend four home games for only $16. He also distributed Christmas baskets to people in need and took part in a promotional video to educate fans on the importance of avoiding impaired driving.
Anthony Lavoie, Baie-Comeau Drakkar
Anthony has been involved with a number of causes in Baie-Comeau, including the Christmas Market, hosting community bingo and events at Cégep de Baie-Comeau, shooting a video for Tourisme Côte-Nord, monthly activities with a group of youngsters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), visits to the Boisvert Elementary School while also participating in Drakkar minor hockey camps and the Leucan Shaved Head Challenge. Moreover, he distributed season tickets to fans and helped create a coffee blend whose sales benefit of the Drakkar Education Fund.