Game 6 on Mother's Day: Let's hope Edmonton Oil King fans celebrate both

If you watched Game 5 of the Western Hockey League championship series Friday night, chances are you just might be unwinding right now.

Wow: what a hockey game, packed with skill, excitement, action … and, if you are an Edmonton Oil King fan, great celebration. Forward Michael St. Croix scored in the first overtime period to give Edmonton a 3-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks, giving the Oil Kings another day. Portland still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, but St. Croix helped force Game 6 which faces off Sunday at Rexall Place when the clock reaches 4 p.m.

And, if you wattched Friday’s game from Portland on SHAW TV or on whl.ca, you may have heard a comment from broadcaster Peter Loubardias.

I sure did. He made sense, absolutely, when he challenged Edmonton hockey fans to get out and enjoy Game 6.

Because it seems Edmonton fans have not embraced the Oil Kings defending their WHL championship series this spring. Let’s have a look:

•10,947 fans in Portland at the Rose Garden for Game 5 Friday

• 8,400 fans were at Rexall Place for Game 4 Wednesday in Edmonton

•8,513 were at Game 3 Tuesday at Rexall Place

(Source: whl.ca)

Questioning why Edmonton hasn’t fully supported the Oil Kings defending their WHL crown is, certainly, worth debate.

They are providing entertaining hockey. And, one would think, putting an entertaining product on the ice does more than billboards, bus ads, radio and television spots.

Yet, it hasn’t.

Although the Edmonton Oilers did not make the playoffs, there was a lot of hockey played since January. Funny how that happens when a labor dispute holds a season hostage.

Are we hockeyed out in Edmonton? Are we disappointed the Oilers, who had so much promise going into the season, fell by the wayside?

Or, sadly, are we starting to take the new success of major junior hockey in Edmonton for granted?

Surely, we’re not.

Friday’s game was a fabulous example of young men putting it all on the line: skill, determination, blood, sweat, tears — whatever it takes — to be champions.

Game 6 will have all of that and more.

We all should embrace and celebrate the journey the Edmonton Oil Kings are on — especially on such a meaningful Sunday as Mother’s Day.

Sharing the Mother's Day Experience

I am a very last-minute guy.

So, for many years I would call my mother on the Friday before Mother’s Day and asked what she would like — or, where she would like to go for brunch.

I got the same answer every year until 2008 when she passed away.

“Just be nice to me for the entire day,” she said. (I thought I was always nice to her.)
“I don’t need anything. And come to our place for brunch. What would you like me to make you?”

MY MOM

That was my Mom: always thinking of others, even on a day that was hers.

So there’s no doubt Mom would be thrilled with the idea from Changing Together — a Centre for Immigrant Women. The  Edmonton-based agency that helps new immigrant women get settled in Alberta’s capital city.

“By giving to our organization they can share the experience with another Mother and help someone in need,” says vice-chair Changing Together’s vice-chair Karen Sigurdson.

Here’s the drill: choose something your mom might think would really help someone and give it to Changing Together in you're her name.

Need some suggestions? Thought you would never ask.

A press release sent out earlier this week include:

$25          = A cab ride to safety for a woman and her children from an abusive family situation

$50          = A workshop on first aid or cooking nutritious family meals in Edmonton

$100          = English and computer training to increase confidence and employability

$250         = Crisis intervention, counselling, advocacy and court assistance

$500+ = Comprehensive education and family services programs for Edmonton immigrant women.

The most popular gift has been $100 from people. That will pay for computer, language or settlement training for someone.

Karen says the idea for the campaign came from a friend of hers who works at the Youth Emergency Shelter. The original idea was “Adopt A Mom” which was a perfect fit for Mother’s Day.

Visit the Changing Together website and look for the Click To Donate button and follow the instructions. Or, you can call Karen at 780-242-8559.

Sunday is all about remembering Mom. Karen remembers the proudest gift she gave her mother on Mother’s Day: ticket’s to see Little Women at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton.

“My sister and I took my Mom. It felt great to share a common experience,” she says in an e-mail.

Just like the Mother’s Day idea for Changing Together.