Members of Paris Fire Station #1 and Airport Fire Station #2 are gearing up for a friendly yet competitive hockey fundraising game on Sunday, April 13, 2025. This highly anticipated event will be held at the Brant Sports Complex in Paris, taking place on the Don Gurney rink at 3:30 p.m.
The hockey match is intended to support Community Living Brant and the Paris Firefighters. Kevin Noseworthy, the Administrative and Communications Assistant for Community Living Brant, noted that while there is no admission fee for attendees, donations are encouraged. "We won’t have an admissions table or anything like that, but the firefighters’ spouses are going to be there doing a traditional boot drive so people can come and put in some donations," he explained.
In addition to the boot drive, there will also be a silent auction with proceeds directed towards Community Living Brant. Noseworthy expressed the collaborative spirit of the event, stating, "Those funds will then go towards supporting Community Living, as well as the firefighters because they’ve got a number of projects that they support too." Attendees are also asked to bring non-perishable food items, which will be collected to support the Salvation Army’s food bank.
Community Living Brant plays a vital role in the community by providing support to over 360 adults with developmental disabilities across the City of Brantford and the County of Brant. According to Noseworthy, "We’ve got various programs that we run like LifeShare, Group Living, the Supported Employment program, and Community Support Services to name a few. We actually have over 250 staff that work for our agency now and we get to do a lot of great work." The funds raised during the hockey game will notably contribute to outreach support through their Pathways program, facilitating the provision of essential resources such as food and necessities to individuals in the community.
Noseworthy expressed enthusiasm about the match itself, having discussed strategies and skills with some of the firefighters. “I was talking to Richard dela Rosa, he’s one of the firefighters, and he was mentioning that some of their firefighters actually have a lot of skills and that some of them played pretty near the professional level, so it should be quite the game,” he said. This excitement for the event is palpable, as Noseworthy anticipates an enjoyable atmosphere: “I think it’ll just be exciting and fun to watch.”
The anticipation surrounding the match is also aided by the community engagement typically fostered by the firefighters. “It’s great too because the firefighters always get the community involved and there’s a lot of hype around the events that they run, so I know we’re all looking forward to this and we’re just happy that they’ve chosen us and want to help support our cause,” Noseworthy added.
Prospective attendees are invited to come early to explore the silent auction table and gather more information about Community Living Brant prior to the puck drop. Noseworthy highlighted that there will be a resource table showcasing future events, including their upcoming golf tournament, emphasizing the importance of community interaction: “It’s just a great chance to speak to some of the staff from Community Living and then grab yourself a really good seat for the game.”
Adding to the event's appeal, Noseworthy mentioned, “I think it’s just going to be a lot of fun and we’ll have a few surprises for everyone too; I know we’re hoping to have a few mascots there so it should be a nice family-friendly event where people can come, meet some of the neighbors and just cheer on their local firefighters while supporting some great causes.”
It’s worth noting the game was originally planned for March 30, 2025, but has since been rescheduled to the new date in April. The enthusiasm around the event exemplifies not only the firefighters' commitment to community service but also the genuine support for an organization that enhances the lives of many residents in the area.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative, which empowers journalists to cover stories in rural and agricultural communities throughout Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County.
