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O _ Marie Hammell honoured Vt; S """""-------------i--G-h-,- _ FRIDAY, JUNE tr, 2007 ..l.?ti2_Ef%K, LESTER F q 3 . POST SPORTS REPORTER . ( G _ .. _ e _ "am DOBBINTON - A local *3 'ij, " , ft tstr', .3... T '("lF9 j' (r, mother of six, children, . , l .1 . Kt'fix "ati' 'iah U F f. ' '3'"; including five hockey play- . M , Ili tlt Izif sfiseissM,:til,ilill:lR, l" 3' . . _ 'dd , Ara' - ers/CWaS recently. honoured , ll Bl 1 ". rrrr,siidlrC'ffl"'(r.C.ir'a its". "i.' allitlllllillll as. anada's Hockey Mom A a i) M' , l V T ;-, ittrf fsiu ' "s I,rir:, "; 'tlllMIttlil " of the Year during the 2007 3 , " if 1 .: _);':, {xi f . Ieut, I 15/ 311$??? .MyterCard Memorial Cup l 'r' g il ' ' -" (,__l-:_ 'kt' 'ii 1 ..f;' , A'1,; ,"'" )3 Ilalllliilillll . in Vancouver. I , " ' Fr' '. j?" t , 'gi. / 4-,Rt 1,53"- 3333 "Iii " M.arie Hammell of Dobbinton , - , ' * I. '4; Te t ff I.) "Hi, " has juggled working on the fanr. - ' G l . F .3 r f _ , , ,r 3f i fl, 3 ily's dairy farm, attending a um; I 3, 1 ' (f l ' ' plethora of hockey games, being - _' rt, , f g l i an executive member of the Tara $31 's, C ji/Y) I. l 1 , Minor Hockey Association and 3' l f "if" 1 l [We recently taking on a part-time _ . K . _ F . A I job. Hammell's family is much l CvntrilmtedPhoto :%%r§C1at_lve of her efforts, and Hammell family members were excited to meet Bobby Orr and owingly to her, she was Hen and L d St Id . entered in the contest sponsored V. In a a. urlng the Canadian Hockey Mom of the Year 1 by MasterCard Canada. event in Vancouver. Pictured are, front, left, Marie and Jim; back, left, Hammell's daughter Cheryl, Wes, Janette, Henry and Linda Staal, Scott, Tim and Bobby Or r. . with help from siblings Tim and Memorial Cup final on Sunda Janette, wrote the MO-word essay afternoon, which crowned the, to meet eastern region winner submission about why their morn hometown Vancouver Giants as Glenna Thebault from Halifax, should win the contest, and on the Canadian Hockey League Nova Scotia. They had a short May 10 Tim received a call to (CIT Champions visit over a Sunday morning cof- notify the family Hammell was During the second intermis- fee. Western region winner the winner of the central region. sion of the game, Hammell was Marni jill Lind of Saskatoon, That evening all the Hammell introduced to the crowd and Saskatchewan, had to leave the children attended the family walked out onto the ice where event early. Thebault and Lind farm, and Hammell thought she was greeted by CHL presi- were honoured on ice during the they were coming for. an early dent David Branch, hockey semi-final game on Friday night. Mother's Day since she was mom Linda Staal and Hall-of- Overall, Hammell said the trip scheduled to work that Sunday. Famer Bobby Orr. She was then was a humbling experience. "One by one they all stopped presented with a dozen roses. "Just watching the kids in in. They all knew about it," Ham- Hammell said meeting Orr hockey and being involved was mell said. "Then they told me was the best part of the trip, and enough, but this is very special." that night. It was.atotal surprise." her entire family was able to She added, "The MasterCard [ Hammell was part of three spend an hour with the hockey people treated us really well. finalists from across Canada that legend during a meet and greet They were the sponsors and they also included winners from east- the previous day when he also did an excellent job. And Van- ern region and western region. signed autographs. couver is a beautiful city/it's [ On May 23 MasterCard revealed The family also spotted something we'll never forget." Hammell as the grand prize Win- Gordie Howe, Jacques Martin Being a farming family, Ham- ner, which included a trip to the and Pat Quinn during the game, mell said it's tough to get a fam- 'Memorial Cup in Vancouver. and Tim was able to speak with ily vacation, and it was nice to On May 25 Hammell boarded Quinn for a short time. get away with most of the chil- a plane with husband Jim and Another interesting part of the dren. The last family vacation children Scott, Tim, Janette and trip for Hammell occurred after was a trip to Walt Disney World Wes (Steve stayed home to do _ her on-ice appearance as a woman about 15 years ago. . the chores and Cheryl stayed "in the crowd from Owen Sound "To coin a phrase from Mas- behind with her newb.orn and came up to congratulate her and terCard, memories made at the . two-year-old daughters). en route tell her it was nice to meet the Memorial Cup in Vancouver - to Vancouver. local winner. Hammell also met a priceless," Hammell said. Upon arrival out west, Ham.. few others in attendance from . Becoming a hockey mom did mell said they were treated well southwestern Ontario. not start with the first few Ham.. . all weekend with a limousine to Hammell also had the chance mell children, instead it came where they needed to go, some later when Tim begged to play. spending money, hotel accom- The following year Steve laced ' modations and tickets to the up the skates, followed by Scott, t 'e 't . ' - Janette and Wes, and they have excelled with the sport.