A wish that will help pave the way for future fun
Matthew Hagerty could soon become the most popular kid in all of ConceptionBaySouth.
Through his wish to the Children’s WishFoundation, the 14 year old will have a 45’x65′ multipurpose asphalt court installed in his own backyard this summer.
Hagerty, who has lived with cystic fibrosis his whole life, says he could have made a typical wish, like going to meet his favourite baseball or hockey player, but he chose something that would last.
“I wanted something I could have for the rest of me life so it’ll be a longer lasting experience than just going for a week and seeing a great baseball player or hockey player,” says Hagerty, who is anxious to share his wish with family and friends.
“I really wanted it to benefit a lot more people than just me, because that way it’s way more fun.”
The court will be set up for basketball and other sports, but Hagerty says more often than not, he and his friends will use it to play ball hockey.
“The main focus is hockey, ” he says, “because I want the lines drawn on it.”
Cystic fibrosis is a disorder which affects lung health and how the pancreas breaks down food, but Hagerty has never let it slow him down.
“Aside from not being able to play ice hockey because my lungs were weak and if I got hit, it could hurt them, it hasn’t affected my everyday life that much,” says the plucky teenager, who plays between the pipes in street hockey.cheap jerseys
“I still have fun, go out with friends, they don’t see me any differently, they just see me as MattHags.”
Plenty of assists on this play
Hagerty’s wish is being funded bythe Children’s Wish Foundation, who themselves are receiving some charitable assistance through theColdwell Banker Pro Co CommunityPledge for Charity.
This year’s initiative, being championed by real estate agents GavonRussell and Roger Kennedy, involves a partnership with the Xtreme HockeyLeague, a recreational summer circuit aimed at giving local pros, minor pros, major junior and junior A players a good skate during the off season.
Among the players who regularly skate in the league are Bonavista native and newly acquired BuffaloSabres defenceman AdamPardy, San Jose Sharks forward Ryane Clowe, European pros RodiShort and MarkLee, and countless major junior, junior A and senior hockey league players. On hand for the season openers Tuesday night were the Tampa BayLightning’s TeddyPurcell and former NHL rearguard John Slaney.
“It’s a shinny game compared to an actual in season game, but this is where you’re going to see Teddy do a toe drag and then go top corner,” says Kennedy, a former Quebec Major Junior HockeyLeague goalie who also plays in the league.
“Those moments you see once every five games, you’ll see four or five times a game down here.”
Throughout the summer, anyone who wishes to attend one of the league’s games atJackByrne Arena, instead of being as to pay an admission fee, patrons will be asked to make a donation to the Children’s Wish Foundation. There will also be tickets sold on autographed jerseys from Clowe and Purcell.
“It’s great to put a smile on someone’s face, especially someone like Matthew,” says Kennedy. “He’ll never forget this day.”
Donations won’t just go towards making Hagerty’s wish come true, they’ll also help make more wishes come true for other kids.
“It’s a real help fromXtreme Hockey, Coldwell Banker Pro Co, and Children’s Wish,” says Hagerty.
“If you can give any little thing, even a toonie would be great. It’s really hard to do so many wishes for so many great people, so any donation can help.”