Dream Girls

Photo: Sharron Davies/CBC

I've got a tale that my sister Frances shared with me recently that will pull at your heartstrings. 

Last year a group of young girls from the remote First Nation community of Fort Hope in northern Ontario decided that they wanted their own hockey team - the first-ever girls' team in their community. They found a coach and equipment, and developed their hockey legs on an outdoor rink, then headed out to their first tournament. Unfortunately, while there, they were racially harassed, both in the arena and when they were in town. They vowed never to return there to play again but the drive to play hockey remained strong so they set their sights on playing in an all girls tournament in our nation's capital, Ottawa (a 90-minute drive from where I live).

Photo: CBC

It wasn't going to be easy - they needed to raise over $100,000 to fund the trip. As luck would have it, CBC radio did a documentary on their team and their quest and they captured the hearts of Canadians far and wide. Sponsorship and Go Fund Me initiatives started up and by March they had met their goal. Thanks to generous donors they were also going to visit the RCMP horse stables, attend an Ottawa Senators hockey game and enjoy trips to some of our national museums while they were in town.

Photo: Sharron Davies/CBC

The fun didn't stop there. A gal named Sharron Davies contacted them to say that she wanted to be their hockey mom while they were in town. And, no surprise, this generous soul also happens to be a quilter and a member of the Kanata Quilting Guild. To help show her support in the stands she made the beautiful quilt that you see at the top of this post.

Photo: Sharron Davies/CBC

AND, with the help of her guild she also gave every girl on the team her own quilt! How great is that? Shout out to the guild!!! The documentary stops after their first tournament and I've glossed over many of the details but you can read the story about the Ottawa leg of their journey here.

Hockey runs deep in our Canadian souls and it's wonderful to see these gals and their coaches pursue their dreams. It is equally good to be reminded of the power of the kindness of strangers, quilters included. Take a few minutes to listen to the documentary, maybe as you sew - it is heart wrenching but good for the soul all at the same time....M