High school charity hockey game collects 1,200 socks for homelessness support

Forget teddy bears – socks were flying at Kitchener’s Grand River Arena during a special hockey game. CTV’s Hannah Schmidt reports.

Forget hats and teddy bears, on Tuesday, socks stole the spotlight at Kitchener’s Grand River Arena.

When the Grand River Collegiate Institute (GRCI) Renegades hit the ice against the Elmira District Secondary School Lancers on Tuesday afternoon, the energy in the arena was about more than just a hockey game.

“I think this group of athletic leaders, they just have a really big heart, and I think that it’s giving them those opportunities to really care for their community,” Grade 12 athletic leadership teacher Heather Millard told CTV News.

The matchup featured GRCI’s first-ever sock toss, a creative spin on the traditional Kitchener Rangers’ Teddy Bear Toss.

“We know a lot of our hockey teams do the Teddy Bear Toss, and we know that socks are in very high demand right now,” Grade 12 student Kowen Moore said. “So, we wanted to do a little twist for our Grand Rivers. ”

As soon as the Renegades scored their first goal, hundreds of pairs of socks rained down onto the ice, not just in celebration, but also in support of the community.

“We love athletics, we love hockey and we have a really dedicated group of students who are really excited to give back to the community this year,” Millard said.

Around 1,200 socks were collected by students and donated to Ray of Hope, a local organization that helps people experiencing homelessness across Waterloo Region.

“We want to do a little spin for charity. We’re donating socks for people in need in the winter,” Renegades team captain Ronan Mash said.

“We do many classes where we realize that many people do need help, and socks and gloves are needed especially with our cold winters that we have here. This all helps them,” Moore said.

The initiative was organized by GRCI’s athletic leadership class, which focuses on using school sports as a way to give back. Earlier in the year, the same class led a food drive that collected more than 800 items for The Food Bank of Waterloo Region.

“We’ve done a couple of things. We were really involved in a food drive and we’ve also done some work with the Special Olympics,” Millard explained. “I think those have been some of the most meaningful experiences for my students.”

One goal, one toss and a reminder that teamwork doesn’t stop at the rink.

Students hope the sock toss will become an annual tradition

“It’s pretty great and especially the support we’ve had for the school. I mean, it’s pretty unreal,” Mash said.