Lions help 75 kids gear up

By Mo Cranker on August 27, 2018.

mcranker@medicinehatnews.com @MHNmocranker

The Lions Club of Medicine Hat spent the weekend helping local families get ready for the hockey season.

The group held its seventh annual Gear Up Campaign which hands out free, used hockey equipment to children who need it.

“It’s about getting the kids up and active,” said Lions Club member James Higgins. “We know how much it costs for families to put their kids into hockey or ringette, especially if they have a few kids in the family.

“Playing sports is a very big part of being a kid around here and we don’t think anyone should have to miss out on that.”

The group helped 75 kids in each of the past two years and more than 80 in 2016. Higgins says roughly 500 have been helped in some capacity over the years.

“This is just our way of giving back to the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of good people here and we want to help out in any way we can — right now, this is how we help.”

Higgins says the group is still trying to decide what to do with leftover equipment and if they will stick to the same event structure.

“It was a good year and was very well received as always,” he said. “We have some equipment that has been passed over for a few years now, so we’re looking at different ways of getting rid of it but still keeping it in the community.

“Our Friday donation day wasn’t very busy, so we’re thinking of cutting back to just Saturday and Sunday.”

Higgins confirmed that the event will be coming back next year.

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