Kids Up Front started ten years ago in Calgary, giving tickets to kids who couldn’t afford to go. Two years ago they partnered up with Ryan Getzlaf, a former Calgary Hitmen player, who provides suites where kids can come watch games at the Saddledome. These kids get to eat chips, cookies, and nachos, meet the Hitmen, get signed t-shirts, and receive toques and hats on their way out. All this is thanks to Ryan Getzlaf and Telus, who sponsor this program.
On Sunday two of our YAA bloggers, Jessica and Kaiz, attended the Getzlaf Gamers suite and got the chance to talk to some of the kids. Here is what they had to say:
Kaiz: The kids are usually between the ages of 7 to 12. Kiandra and Jaymee are big hockey fans, and they love the opportunity that Kids Up Front provides them with. The smiles of joy were all I needed to see to show me how valuable an organization like Kids Up Front really is. The kids watching the game today were from the Starlight Children’s Foundation, but every game Kids Up Front contacts a different organization to invite kids and help lift them up.
Jessica: On Sunday I had the pleasure of talking with two lovely young ladies who were able to watch the Calgary Hitmen beat the Red Deer Rebels 8 to 1, thanks to Kids Up Front. The kids were treated to a suite at the Saddledome thanks to Ryan Getzlaf’s charitable donations and made him a very crafty thank you card, drawing pictures of pucks and hockey sticks. Kiandra, one of the young ladies who let me steal her from the game for a moment, is a huge fan of hockey and enjoys the excitement of the crowd cheering on the players and loves the snacks that Kids Up Front provide; veggies, chips and dip and for third period… cookies!! Jaymee who is 7 (and a half) loves that the Hitmen take time from the game during intermission to sign their t-shirts and take photos with them; her favourite player is goalie Martin Jones and after Sunday’s game she has met him twice! When the Hitmen come up to the suite to see the kids, Farley the Fox comes too and plays with the kids and makes sure that everyone gets a hug and picture. Now you might be wondering where are the parents? Well Kids Up Front takes care of that too, they provide tickets for the parents to the game too, so that they can have some time together without having to worry about someone taking care of their kids.
Thanks to these amazing people that run this organization, so many kids every year get to enjoy hockey games. It’s so easy just to donate tickets, and in return you bring a deserving kid a lot of happiness. If you have extra tickets to a game, don’t hesitate to call 403-444-4246. For more information about Kids Up Front, click here. It’s such a good cause, and you won’t regret it!
