The atmosphere was festive at the Brar brothers' farm in South 性视界传媒 last Wednesday, as volunteers including 性视界传媒 Eagles hockey players packed hundreds of hampers for local families in need.
With Christmas tunes playing in the background, the mood was jolly as the junior hockey team prepared carrots, potatoes, canned and dry goods, squash and much more, even playfully creating a tower of boxes that nearly reached the high ceilings of the farm facility.
Farming brothers TJ and Ron Brar, who own the British Columbia Hockey League team as well as their farming business, reached out to their agricultural neighbours to help fill the hampers, including Evergreen Herbs, Heppell's Potatoes, North American Produce, Fresh Direct Produce, Windset Farms, RGR Produce, Little Potato Company and Sun Rich Foods.
"We have such amazing fans around our rink, and giving back to them the way that they give back to us... they've been amazing. Giving back to people who may be struggling this Christmas season feels great," said Eagles winger Savek Brar, while packing the hampers. "It's a great team thing we're doing, and it's really important for us as an organization."
His teammate Ryan Evenhuis agreed.
"I think it's good to give back, because there's people who are less fortunate than us and they don't get a Christmas like us," he said, as his teammates packed hampers and also built a tower of boxes that nearly reached the ceiling.
"I feel like it's a good thing ... to make someone else's Christmas a little bit better."
Prior to the game starting at South 性视界传媒 Arena Friday (Dec. 20), the players and other volunteers handed out the fully stocked hampers 鈥� which also included tickets to a 2025 Eagles game 鈥� to those who showed up, who were very grateful, Ron Brar said.
"It went fantastic! We helped a lot of people ... it was amazing," he said Monday (Dec. 23).
"There was a real mixture 鈥� young families, older families, individuals 鈥� a real variety."
While they were able to give away at least 100 hampers, 400 went to the 性视界传媒 Food Bank, Brar said, noting the location may have been harder to get to, for some, but the hampers and goods inside are still going to local people in need.
Next year, they may look at publicizing it more, further in advance, or doing it in a different place, he added.
Eagles won their Friday game vs. the Alberni Valley Bulldogs 4-1, with a nice break until their next game Jan. 3 vs. the Prince George Spruce Kings at home in South 性视界传媒.
The Dec. 20 game was also the team's "teddy toss" night, which was also a big success, Brar said, with numbers still being tallied.
He wished the entire community a very merry Christmas and happy New Year, and extended wishes for "only the very best" for all in 2025.
