Ice hockey match raises funds in Oman for the victims of wildfire in Canada

Energy Friday 20/May/2016 19:59 PM
By: Times News Service
Ice hockey match raises funds in Oman for the victims of wildfire in Canada

Muscat: A team of Canadian expats organised an ice hockey match in Oman to raise money for the wildfire ravaged Fort McMurray region of their homeland.
The Canadians enlisted the help of friends from around the world – including two Omanis – to compete against the Sultanate’s national ice hockey team – then went on to beat them 6-5.
About OMR1,500 was raised at the charity ice hockey match which saw the participation of the Omani Khanjars, the national ice hockey team and a team of expatriates, most of them from Canada, who had gathered to play the friendly at the ice skating rink at Fun Zone in Qurum.
“We have recently formed the Canadian social club of Oman, and at one of our meetings a member mentioned the idea of donating money to people affected by the fires in Northern Alberta. I am a member of the expat hockey team, so I thought we could use that as a venue to raise some awareness. Entry was free, and donations were not mandatory,” said Aaron Grimley, chairman of the Canadian Social Club.
Omani Khanjars were defeated by a close 6-5 margin, and the event managed to raise over 5,000 Canadian dollars for Fort McMurray evacuees in the process. In total about 30 players participated in the exciting game.
The Omani national team age ranged between 17 to 25.
The expat team, which consisted of 70 per cent Canadians and a mix of people from the US, UK, Norway and two Omanis, was aged between 18 and 45.
“We have a lot of people here who have friends or family back in Fort McMurray, it’s a diverse town and the residents are from various parts of Canada. A large majority of us have families and friends that are in some way associated with that area,”Grimley added.
“We are continuing our request for donations, and people came to us separately after the event to donate more. We will send all the money through the Canadian Red Cross next week as we are still accepting donations. One of the things that surprised me was the diversity. People from different countries made donations- there were individuals, families, and even kids who showed up and donated.”