Don Howland, Earl Henderson and Denise Henderson are the organizers of the major league at the rink, with Earl Henderson and Howland acting as the main icemakers.
“Every family is touched by cancer of some sort,” Denise Henderson said. “Don’s sister-in-law has been struggling with breast cancer for years (and) my dad has had prostate cancer.”
The group has been maintaining the ice at the East End rink for the past 10 years. In addition to the circles, the organizers ordered special decals to freeze in the ice, including pink and blue ribbons.
“We found a place where we could get the ribbons from and so we laid those down in the ice as well,” Denise Henderson said.
“Actually, when I ordered the ribbons, (I found out) Foam Lake is apparently doing the same thing this year,” Earl Henderson added.
There are 14 teams and more than 50 people currently registered in the league. Every year, the league uses leftover funds from registration fees to donate to community organizations and charities.
“Relay for Life is one of our main staples. The hospital is our other main staple. Movember has just started. We donated last year and we donated again this year,” Denise Henderson said.
The group donated $500 to Relay for Life and $200 to Movember last year and expects to donate about the same amount this year.
“We just gave a cheque for $200 to Movember,” Denise Henderson said. “We won’t know (about the others) until the end of our season, and whatever’s left is what we give away.”
alex.dipietro@paherald.sk.ca
