A Day for Brad!

It's officially Brad Marsh Day today in Ottawa! Brad rode into Ottawa this afternoon and literally rode right into Scotiabank Place for a warm welcome! Stay tuned for media updates.

Why Donate to the Boys and Girls Club

Brad Marsh with BGC Renfrew Calgary Club kids receives donations
from Flames Foundation, Alumni & Talisman Energy

It’s not always easy being a kid. Add to that the growing list of negative influences kids face today and one might even say they have the odds stacked against them. Luckily for everyone kids are flexible and resilient. A lot of times all kids need is the chance to succeed and grow their confidence in themselves. Give a child the opportunity to play in a positive environment and watch their confidence grow.

During a floor hockey game at the Kimount Boys and Girls Club in Vancouver a boy, no older than 11, tells Canuck’s Alumni Bon Murray and I between shifts, “You and Bob play forward, I have a better shot than you so pass the puck back to me and I’ll score from the point.” Bob and I were both taken aback. I can’t speak for Bob but I was taken aback with the confidence this kid had. Would he have this confidence in himself had it not been for the floor hockey league at the Boys and Girls Club? I somehow doubt it.

The kind of confidence kids gain by playing and growing in such a positive atmosphere shapes them into their adult lives. This confidence is the key to developing the attitude that they can conquer any challenge whether it is in school, interacting with their peers or later, in their careers. I love seeing the smallest kid running to the center of the floor for the puck drop instead of waiting on the sidelines. I love seeing the girls participating and more than holding their own against the boys. I love being in an atmosphere without any putdowns or negativity.

The Boys and Girls Club needs your help to provide thousands of kids with the opportunity to live up to their potential. Donations of any size can make a big difference in a kid’s life. It might be sending a kid to camp or it might be providing a meal for a boy or girl who hasn’t had anything to eat all day. It could be sports equipment or academic resources, whatever the end result, it starts with your donations. All it took for me was a few minutes with the kids to see why our ride is necessary and more importantly why you need to donate to your local Boys and Girls Club. It may not be much to you but it can mean the world to a kid in your community. 

Merritt & More Part 1

As I sit back and reflect on the last few days, its hard to take it all in. It seems more like a month than three days. So much has happened it is difficult to distill it all down to one or two overriding themes.

As much as we’ve been preparing for months and we’ve been away from home for almost a week now, it felt like everything started as soon as we stepped into the Kimount Boys and Girls Club in Vancouver. When we walked up to the front door of the Club there was no way any of us could have imagined the beehive of activity going on inside the modest building, hardly any bigger than the houses around it. As it turns out, the Kimount club was the first club to be built specifically for the BGC in all of Western Canada. The kids were bustling all around the club and Joel, a supervisor, showed us around. Our tour finished in the gym where the kids were anxiously getting ready for a floor hockey game.

Big welcome & thanks from the kids

The goalies stretched and the other kids picked out their sticks while Dad was introduced and he told them what we were doing. The support from the kids was unimaginable. They had made a sign on the wall and presented us with a tee shirt all the kids signed with their words of encouragement. We finally got down to business and started playing hockey. Canucks Alumni Bob Murray and I joined one team while Dad went to the other. The competition was fierce and the kids really had us running. In the end my team won. I think it had something to do with our strategy. While waiting for our shift one kid, maybe 11 years old, said to me, “You and Bob play forward next shift.” I said, “Well I thought we’d put all the speed up front?” To which he replied, “Yeah but I have a better shot so pass it to me on the point!”

After the game Dad signed some autographs and the kids all wished us good luck and gave us high fives and hugs goodbye. After spending just a few short hours with these amazing kids it’s easy to see why this ride is so important. Kids need a place to be kids, a place where they have a positive environment to grow and play. It’s amazing how a few nets, some sticks, and a fun game of hockey can bring together kids of so many different ages and backgrounds.

When we woke up the morning of the 25^th and got all our gear on and loaded up the car, we were excited to do the Kimount BGC proud. We went to Kitsilano beach and dipped our tires in the Ocean. Some new friends from Visalus and my uncle, along with a few of his friends came to see us off. My uncle is a minister and blessed us for our ride and we were off. We didn’t have much time to enjoy the early excitement, however as 15 minutes into our ride, we were lost. Trying to weave our way out of Vancouver, our heart-warming Father-Son ride quickly turned into frustration before we rendezvoused with Mom. We quickly re-evaluated the route and got back on track. On the open road toward Hope we finally settled into a rhythm and could enjoy the scenery as we headed into the mountains. Even then, we weren’t without challenges. It was chilly and very rainy and a local told us there were cougar sightings in the area. We were quite relieved to roll into Hope and stretch out after our first day of riding.

Erik ( Co-pilot and son)