Yesterday morning Killarney students enjoying their skate session at the Shamrock Centre were shocked to see some visitors skate out onto the ice - seven members of the Brandon Wheat Kings!
The Shamrock Centre collaborated with the BWK to come and crash the school skate for the Grades 5's and 6's. "It was a total surprise for the kids!" shares Killarney Rec Director, Mandy Alexander.
"The school regularly comes here to the Shamrock and skates once or twice a month," explains Alexander. "This was a special day for them, because they don't normally come on Monday, but it was the best day that we could get everything organized. The school was able to send the Grade 5's and 6's and the Wheat Kings arrived shortly after the kids did."
Alexander had tried to arrange for members of the Wheat Kings to join the public skate on St. Patrick's Day, March 17th, but the Wheaties had a game scheduled for that day and so were unable to travel to Killarney. So, some shuffling of schedules and they made it work.
"It was fantastic when they came out onto the ice because none of the kids knew they were even in the building," she adds. "They were just staring with giant smiles on their faces!"
"The players really immersed themselves in with the kids. The kids had already started a hockey game. So, a number of the Wheat Kings got involved in that, but they made sure to go around and see the rest of the kids too, the ones that are newer to skating and the ones who were figure skating," she adds. "They really went out of their way to include everybody. It was neat watching them too, because they were getting excited about the game as it was going on too!" she adds.
These students didn't leave the Shamrock Centre empty-handed. They each got to take home some special memories of their time with the Wheaties.
"They all had brought signed hockey cards, and they gave every kid here hockey cards and a ticket to their next game. It was a pretty cool morning, just kind of out of the blue!"
"So, a giant 'Thank you!' to Marty Murray and the players, and the rest of the staff and Jared Jacobson because he was the one who I initially had organized this with," adds Alexander. "They were delightful to work with and honestly, just a great group of people. We wish them luck in the rest of their season!"
(Photo credit Mandy Alexander at the Killarney Shamrock Centre: Group photo of the players that attended along with Coach Marty Murray and his niece and nephew who live in Killarney and play for the Killarney Stars. One picture is of Wyatt Alexander (Grade 5) and Matteo Michels (#88) and the remaining photos are of their skate session together.)