PICKERING, ON,
Nov. 19
/CNW/ - 16-year old
Graham Young
was informed at the Torch Relay Celebration in
Halifax
on Wednesday that his most heartfelt wish to see the 2010 men's Olympic gold medal hockey game was going to become a reality thanks to the Children's Wish Foundation of
Canada
, Emera Inc., the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation. Graham's wish has been a long time in the making and required the concerted efforts of committed individuals at several corporations from across the country.
Graham, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in 1996, was told he was eligible for a wish from Children's Wish 6 years ago. Being a die-hard hockey fanatic, his choice was clear. As he put it, he wished "to watch the best hockey players in the world play with the weight of their nation on their back to try and capture gold." His vision was to see sports history in the making on Canadian soil. But the journey would prove to be a long one.
"Tickets to the men's gold medal ice hockey game are extremely difficult to acquire," explained
Cheryl Matthews
, Children's Wish Nova Scotia Chapter Director. "To achieve his wish, Graham displayed the same kind of vision and determination that Olympic athletes have. During the last 6 years, he could have chosen a different wish; he could have gone to
Torino
in 2006, but instead, he stuck by his vision of seeing the gold medal game in
Canada
." It is Graham's fervent hope that Team
Canada
will be on the ice for that game.
To make this wish come true, Children's Wish enlisted the help of long-time corporate supporters Emera. They took on the challenge of locating tickets. After several phone calls, BCLC, an Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games came through with the tickets, while accommodations came courtesy of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation. Through the cooperation of several dedicated individuals, working in corporations in different provinces, a young hockey fan suffering from Cystic Fibrosis, will travel to
Vancouver
on
February 26
for the trip of a lifetime.
The Children's Wish Foundation of
Canada
Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Since 1984, The Children's Wish Foundation of
Canada
has worked tirelessly to grant exceptional wishes to 15,000 children and their families.
This year, the Foundation expects to grant 1,000 new wishes as it commemorates 25 years of service across
Canada
. The Foundation has never refused a wish to an eligible child, and with the help of volunteers and generous donors, is able to grant nearly three wishes every day. Each wish is an individual adventure, carefully structured to meet the needs of a particular child and family.
Emera
Emera Inc. (EMA-TSX) is an energy and services company with
$5.2 billion
in assets. Electricity is Emera's core business. Approximately 90% of Emera's revenues are earned by Nova Scotia Power Inc (NSPI), Bangor Hydro-Electric Company (BHE) and the Brunswick Pipeline. NSPI and BHE are wholly-owned regulated electric utilities which together serve 600,000 customers. The Brunswick Pipeline is a 145 km gas pipeline in
New Brunswick
. Emera also owns 19% of St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited, which serves more than 50,000 customers on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia and 25% of Grand Bahama Power Company which serves 19,000 customers on the Caribbean island of Grand Bahama. In addition to its electric utility investments, Emera owns Bayside Power, a 260 MW gas-fired power plant in Saint John,
New Brunswick
; Emera Energy Services, a physical natural gas and power marketing and asset management business; a joint venture interest in Bear Swamp, a 600 megawatt pumped storage hydro-electric facility in northern Massachusetts; a 12.9% interest in the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline; and a 8.2% interest in Open Hydro. Visit Emera on the web at www.emera.com.
BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC)
BCLC is a provincial Crown Corporation that offers socially responsible gaming entertainment while generating income that benefits all British Columbians. BCLC is an Official Supporter of the
Vancouver
2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
For more information on BCLC, visit www.bclc.com
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a multi-jurisdictional gaming and entertainment operator with operations in British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia, and Washington State. The Company operates ten casinos, a thoroughbred racetrack that offers slot machines, four standardbred racetracks (two offer slot machines and one offers both slot machines and table games), a community gaming centre, a bingo hall, a hotel and conference centre, two show theatres and various associated food and beverage and entertainment facilities. As of
September 30, 2009
, the Company had approximately 3,900 employees in
Canada
and 600 in Washington State. Further information is available on the Company's website, www.gcgaming.com.
For further information: Paul St-Germain, Director, Communications, The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, (905) 839-4566, ext. 240, 1-800-700-4437, [email protected], www.childrenswish.ca
Share this article