On May 16, 2016, Rotarian Shelley introduced Greg Keith, Rotarian, who had been a member of the team from Penobsquis Baptist Church that had gone to Kimmirut to provide youth with equipment and training in hockey.
Greg works for Sunshine House in town and over the years, had been active in minor hockey in the Town of Sussex. Rotarian Greg Keith explained the connection for the hockey mission trip to Kimmirut.
Julie and Rob Matthews have been living and teaching in Kimmirut for three years. Julie is the daughter of Jim Cunningham, a local businessman, and she and her husband saw a real need among the youth.
The community has high rates of abuse and violence, and there are severe addictions to alcohol, with many of the youth involved in glue sniffing. Kimmirut also has high incidences of violence, murder, and suicide...
The community has several facilities that young people can use, but leadership is lacking. Bob Parlee and Neville Gosman were also members of the team, and they assisted with the PowerPoint presentation.
The team received a lot of donations from the Sussex area and was able to transport 800 pounds of hockey equipment to Kimmirut.
Many miraculous things happened in the whole planning process, from exclusive deals on flights, donations of equipment, accommodation, and food. What seemed like an impossible task became a reality. The team spent time at the rink teaching students of all ages from K – 12 and some of the leaders were invited to speak to classes within the school.
The venture was rewarding and profitable for all.
Rotarian Ian Smyth thanked the speakers for the inspirational talk.