RCMP, firefighters to face off in hockey game for #BeccaToldMeTo
Battle of the Badges hockey game set for Moncton tonight to raise money for kids with cancer
Firefighters and police are coming face to face for an important cause.
Members of the Codiac Regional RCMP and fire departments from Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe will hit the ice Friday night for a charity hockey game in support of the #BeccaToldMeTo campaign. The famous hashtag was launched by Becca Schofield, 17, of Riverview, who has terminal brain cancer.
The campaign, which has received national attention, asks people to do something kind for someone else, then share it on social media.
"You turn on the TV and they're talking about it," said Cpl. Mike Gaudet of the Codiac RCMP. "It's everywhere."
At the end of the day let's not just end it here, let's continue.- Mike Gaudet, Codiac RCMP
What started out as locker room banter following a friendly hockey match between firefighters, quickly turned into Battle of the Badges, a competitive hockey game between the services.
"I think it'll be a great match," said Christopher Jackson, a firefighter at the Moncton Fire Department.
He heard about the idea from other communities.
"I think it'll be competitive," said Jackson.
- Young cancer patient Becca tells us what to do: be kind to someone
- Thousands respond to #BeccaToldMeTo in support of young cancer patient
Doors open at 6 p.m. and the puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at the Superior Propane Centre in Moncton. Becca and her family will be in attendance, as will Moncton Centre MLA Chris Collins.
Each team will have 15 players, skilled and well-trained.
"The nature of our careers kind of draws people that are athletic and competitive," Jackson said. "We have a lot of good hockey players."
Money donated by the public will go to Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, an 18-day cycling event that starts in Vancouver on Sept. 6 and ends on Sept. 23 in Halifax. The annual event raises funds for childhood cancer and was chosen by Becca herself.
"That's what's so inspiring, it's paying it forward," Gaudet said. "It's all those little things … we could all do on a daily basis.
"It's not just a one-shot deal here."
Organizers hope this is just the beginning of an annual event to support the cause.
"At the end of the day let's not just end it here, let's continue," said Gaudet.
With files from Information Morning Moncton