Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

HOCKEY NIGHT FOR PARKCREST

Parkcrest Elementary to be guests of honor at Blazers game

Sep 27, 2019 | 5:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — Parkcrest Elementary’s Vice-Principal Grant Naylor has been practicing his ceremonial puck drop skills

That’s because he’ll be doing the honors at Friday night’s Blazers game. The local WHL club has chosen tonight to honor the elementary school community, after the fire that razed the school three weeks ago. They’ve teamed up with BCLC to provide the kids and their families tickets to the game.

“BCLC, of course, have been great sponsors in the community, and we asked them if they’d team up with us, and they were happy to do it,” Kamloops Blazers President Don Moores told CFJC Today. “There are about 350 kids who go to school there, who are displaced, and so with them along with their families, we figured about a thousand [tickets].”

Those 1,000 tickets represent roughly a fifth of the capacity of the Sandman Centre, all donated to the Parkcrest Elementary community. Vice-Principal Naylor says that generosity has sparked a lot of excitement at the school.

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“We have handed out over 900 of those 1,000 tickets that the Blazers have provided for us,” Naylor said. “We’re really looking forward to that community-building event, and we’re thankful to the Blazers for offering us the opportunity to come together as a family.”

Students and staff have started to settle into their new digs at the George Hilliard campus. The toughest part has been making do without all the things that were lost in the fire.

“What’s missing from a teaching standpoint, to allow our staff to be successful in delivering curriculum and instruction, too – we’re standing in the gym right now missing all of our gym equipment and slowly piecing that all together,” Naylor explained.

As part of the festivities, the Parkcrest choir will be singing the national anthem before tonight’s game. The students we spoke with said they’re very thankful to all the community organizations who stepped up to lend a hand.

“All the support is going to us, and they have been very helpful in supporting us,” Claire Kozoriz told CFJC Today.

For Claire and her best friend Natalie, who’ll both be at the game, those donations are much appreciated. Claire also predicts tonight will the be the night the Blazers will register their first win tonight. But no matter what the final score, the game will be a huge win for Parkcrest.