Walker Aggregates Supports Next Generation of Sledge Hockey and Inclusive Sports

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For several employees of Walker Aggregates, one special afternoon in December marked a moment of positive change in the lives of 12 children with disabilities. On December 2, 2017, the Sledge Hockey Experience and All Sports All People hosted an event to help children with disabilities pursue a sport they love. The event brought together Walker Aggregates and other donors, along with members of the hockey and sledge hockey communities to present 12 enthusiastic children with the equipment they needed to begin playing sledge hockey.

To cap off several months of fundraising, Walker’s Ken Lucyshyn, Executive Vice President Aggregates & Construction, along with several employees attended the event. Walker Aggregates’ $7,000 donation was enough to purchase 7 sets of equipment and sleds – a contribution above and beyond their initial fundraising goal of 2 sleds.

The fundraising idea came about after a group of employees from Walker Aggregates participated in a teambuilding day with Kevin Rempel, Paralympic Champion and Coach with the Sledge Hockey Experience. Sledge hockey, or para ice hockey, is a sport designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play ice hockey.

“Our experience with Kevin made it possible for us to all play on the same level,” says Ken Lucyshyn. “Kevin’s story and his drive to make team sports inclusive and accessible for everyone are truly inspirational.”

The fundraiser involved a series of raffles with all proceeds going toward the purchase of sledge hockey sleds and equipment through All Sports All People. “Our goal was $2,000, which would be enough to purchase 2 sets of equipment and sleds,” recalls Melanie Smyth, Marketing & Communications Coordinator for Walker Aggregates. “We still can’t believe how successful the raffles were. The support and generosity from our fellow Walker Industries employees across the entire company, not just the Aggregate division, was overwhelming.”

The $7,000 donation was a comprised of a Company donation and the thoughtfulness of Walker employees. Almost four of the seven thousand was raised from the raffles and $1,500 came from the kind heart of Glenn Wilde, Welder for Walker Aggregates. Earlier in the year, Walker Industries launched a “Walker Acts of Kindness” campaign where employees were encouraged to perform random acts of kindness for a chance to win $1,500 toward a charity of their choice. Wilde was the winner and chose All Sports All People as the recipient of the donation.

Kevin Rempel had this to say, “The response and support received from Walker Aggregates completely blew us away! To see the energy and excitement built, which generated so much support, is directly making a difference in the lives of many children and their families. We can’t thank Walker Aggregates enough.”

The event on December 2nd was a remarkable example of community support that left a lasting impression on the employees who were able to attend. “I felt honoured to be there representing Walker, supporting Kevin and meeting the kids and their families,” says Executive Assistant Teresa Pierobon. “Being there to see what our fundraiser achieved made me so proud of our accomplishments as a company and a team.”

Watch video from the Sledge Hockey Donation Event

Walker Aggregates and its employees are committed to making a positive impact in the communities in which they operate. To learn more about this cause and how you can get involved, please visit http://www.playsledgehockey.com/donate.

Sledge Hockey Experience

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