When the Lloydminster Bobcats aren’t on the ice battling for points this season, they’ll be out in the community, coming to the aid of people waging a different kind of battle – the fight against MS. The Bobcats are teaming-up with the Lloydminster Chapter of the MS Society and The Home Depot Lloydminster for the second year of ‘Snow Angels’. It’s an initiative that provides the players with a chance to give back to the community by shoveling snow for people facing the physical impacts of multiple sclerosis. Throughout the course of this winter, whenever there is significant snowfall overnight, the Bobcats will head to the home of a different local resident affected by MS the following morning to shovel their sidewalks.
“We are very excited to partner with MS Society once again for the 2013-14 Snow Angels program,” says Kyle Tapp, Associate Coach and Assistant GM for the Bobcats. “We feel as an organization it is a must that we give back as much and as often as we can to our community, as it has always been there for us. This program is just another way in which we can help make an impact and we are very pleased to help such a great cause. We encourage all our Bobcat players to try and better themselves both on and off the ice and find a way to make an positive impact in people’s lives – the Snow Angels is just another way we feel we can do that, and we encourage other athletes in the community to try and do the same,” adds Tapp.
“The Bobcats have been loyal supporters of the MS Society for many years, and we’re proud to partner with them for this initiative,” says Johanna Green, Lakeland Regional Director for the MS Society in Lloydminster. “Snow Angels is a way that the players can help make a very direct impact on the quality of life of some of our members who have been hit hardest by this disease. We’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Bobcats organization for being a true leader in the fight against MS, and for so willingly stepping up to make a difference in the daily lives of people facing MS,” adds Green.
The MS Society and the Bobcats would like to thank The Home Depot Lloydminster for providing special jerseys that the players will be wearing while shoveling, as well as hats and red shovels. In addition to Snow Angels, the Bobcats also dedicate two home games a season to spotlighting the fight against MS, and are active participants in the annual Lloydminster MS Walk.
MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada. While most often diagnosed in young adults aged 15-40, it can also affect children as young as two. MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. The impact is felt by family, friends and the community. Its effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. There is no cure.