School Visits Continue To Highlight Community Cares Program
It is 8:00am Tuesday morning and Sting players Aaron Power, Joey Tenute and Tyler Hanchuck are awake and getting ready to participate in a weekly school visit as part of the Sting Community Cares Program. Their visit will start at 8:30am and last until 12:30pm. This past Tuesday, the Sting visited St. Theresa’s Catholic School in Sarnia participating in class discussions, including reading, math, science and geography as well as participating in physical fitness activities with students from grades 5 and 6.
For the second straight season the Sarnia Sting Hockey Club has continued to visit schools in the Sarnia-Lambton area acting as mentors to children from grades 1 thru 8. I remember being at that age and looking up to athletes and well known people. I like to see that and all it takes for me is giving a kid a high five and making their day, said Sting Co-Captian Aaron Power who takes part in visiting eight area schools twice a week along with 7 other Sting players. It helps me personally when you know you walk away feeling good about yourself because you have made someone’s day or helped them with math problems. Seeing kids walk away with a smile on their face is a very good reward. For Tyler Hanchuck it is the same feeling. I can certainly relate to the kids, because I remember growing up in Sault Ste Marie, (ON.) I looked up to the Greyhound players. It was great interacting with them because they were heroes to me, said Hanchuck.
For the current Sting players participating it not only helps to develop their humanitarian skills, it also builds their character. I have fun doing the program because I love kids. It makes me a better person when I know I can make someone have a better day, added Hanchuck.
Part of the school visit program is the selection of two students from the participating schools, to attend a Sarnia Sting home game, sit in the Community Cares Suite, as well as being selected to have lunch with Sarnia Sting Players. On Tuesday, January 13th Sting players Tenute, Hanchuck and Power took two St. Theresa’s students to the new A&W Restaurant on Exmouth Street in Sarnia for lunch. The lunch was provided by A&W Restaurant for the students and players.
The Community Cares program is in it’s second year and is a pro-active initiative by the Sarnia Sting Hockey Club to increase and continue active involvement by Sting players in the Sarnia-Lambton community. The school visits are a major and integral part of the program but also includes events such as the annual Teddy Bear Toss, Food and Clothing Drives, and other events that the Sarnia Sting are involved in. There are four major and participating sponsors associated in the Sting Community Cares Program and include Lambton Ford, Ranson Industrial and Safety Supply, Rogers AT&T Wireless, and Haines Printing.
