Bulls also a hit off the ice
By Aaron Bell
While the Belleville Bulls have enjoyed a record-setting season on the ice, their biggest impact this season has likely come away from the rink.
Seven of the Bulls' veteran players have spent time this season being in-school mentors for Big Brothers.
Geoff Killing,
Keaton Turkiewicz,
Matt Beleskey, Andy Self,
Shawn Matthias,
Chris Mifflen and
Stephen Blunden each have a Little Brother that they have spent time with every week this season and the impact they have had has been tremendous.
"They truly are making a difference," said Cheryl Whiteman, a caseworker with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Hastings and Prince Edward Counties. "Even though they are a great influence as hockey players, my experience interviewing them and meeting them is they are really well-rounded young men. That is shown off the ice as well."
The kids involved with the program are usually indentified through their schools as having some need and most of the kids in the program are in need of positive role models.
"That's why these guys do such a good job in this role," Whiteman said. "Whether it's academic or socially or they may have some difficulties at home for some reason. They get together at the same time each week so that it's very predictable for the young people. Sadly, they've had many disappointments in their lives. But they know that every week these guys are coming. They very much look forward to that."
The Bulls started the program last year with Killing and former captain
Andrew Gibbons. The positive response encouraged the other players to get involved this year.
"It's great spending time with the kids," said Killing, a 20-year-old from Embro that is in his fifth season with the Bulls. "We get to hang out once a week. We hope to do it more, but sometimes it's tough to schedule. It's great to have that time with them."
The players find different activities to do with their Little Brothers, including sports, computer games, board games and cards but it is the time they spend talking together that seems to have the most benefit.
"We get to spend a little bit of time with them and get them away from class a little bit," said Turkiewicz, a 20-year-old from Brantford who is in his first season with the Bulls. "We talk to them and just try to have some fun. It's been great."
Turkiewicz said that it was an easy decision to get involved with the program and understands the impact that OHL players can have on the lives of young people in their communities.
"I always looked up to hockey players in general because that's what I was into," Turkiewicz said. "They were always a good, positive influence."
He said that the players hope to reinforce some of the positive messages that the kids are getting from their parents and teachers at school.
"It's good to have a teenager as someone you can sometimes relate to more than an adult," Turkiewicz said. "I think the kids have fun and once you get to know them, they loosen up and act like kids again and have fun. We're not quite an adult figure, but they know it's an older person who's been through what they are going through."
Killing said that the program has been a benefit to the Bulls' players as well.
"It feels great to be able to give back to the community," Killing said. "Belleville has been so great to me so to do this is easy. You hear from the secretary or the principal that when we come, it makes a huge difference. I don't see it personally because they are great to me, but they have said that we make a huge difference."
The Bulls' partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters has also included fund raising initiatives this year as well as complimentary tickets to Bulls' games this season.
"We have really built up a great partnership," Whiteman said.
Additional information about Big Brothers and Big Sisters can be found online at www.sharingthemagic.org.
