Let's Get Real

My daughter Heather came down yesterday. Our conversation was about the Special Olympics Floor Hockey Tournament she and Sue Hoey organised in Newmarket last Saturday.

Brent Hoey and Adam have been friends since starting school.Brent is a year or two younger

The Tournament hasn't been the only thing on the go. This week-end will be the first in eight months Heather has been free.

Many things needed to be done. Theresa and my grandson Rory were at the Ray Twinney Centre to do whatever.

Robyn and ten of her school-mates were in the kitchen on Friday baking four hundred cookies for lunch bags.They had great fun putting the lunches together with everything a person would like to find in a lunch.

The buns were ordered, fresh baked panini, from the Superstore. Everybody knows the difference when buns or bread is freshly baked.

There are no revenues for a Special Olympics Tournament. Every penny has to be squeezed twice.

The fee for the arena was $1270 for the day. That was a huge burden. Someone suggested a request to the Mayor.

The letter didn't get to the Mayor. Someone else had a meeting with the Mayor and mentioned the letter.

Immediately Mayor Tony Van Bynen forwarded $500. out of his golf tournament funds to reduce the fee.No publicity given, none sought.Only those who needed the help knew they got it
and from whence it came.

One of the things learned was how some people feel compelled to come forward and say they will do this or that. They don't. Then act as if they never offered.

And others who say " What do you need me to do" and come through like gang-busters.

Some parents have tears in their eyes, for sons and daughters having a chance to do something they never imagined possible.

Then there were kids from Owen Sound and Midland who came on a bus, without parents.

It was what it was With what there was to work with. At one and the same time a learning experience and a great success.

No tournament is ever organised without a tremendous weight on the shoulders of a few strong individuals.

The rest just need to stay out of the way

Adam dons a Town of Newmarket shirt and works at the arena one day a week.He is paid the union rate. His workmates gave that tournament their Royal Best.

Adam has friends from all Newmarket who know him from the arena.

Ray Twinney's heart would have been full, had he been there to see it.

It was a fitting tribute to his memory.