Sports

Have a sports story tip? Tell us about it by calling 250-378-4241 or emailing newsroom@merrittherald.com. Cents find first win in return to NVMA

Jake Courtepatte NEWSROOM@MERRITTHERALD.COM

In their first home game in three weeks, the Merritt Centennials returned to the reopened NVMA on Friday to earn their first win of the season.

The junior A squad entered the game at a distinct disadvantage to the Wenatchee Wild, having been displaced from their homes and billet homes since Nov. 15 when the City of Merritt was placed on Evacuation Order. It was also the first night that the Cents were without longtime veteran, and hometown player, Talon Zakall, who was shipped to the Vernon Vipers just days earlier.

His old teammates, however, were able to pick up the slack against the Wild. Levi Carter notched his first goal in a Centennials uniform in the first period to give the home team a 1-0 advantage after twenty minutes.

Wenatchee bounced back in the second, throwing puck after puck at Cents goaltender Keegan Maddocks in a 24-shot period and taking a 2-1 lead, though a late goal by Ben Ward had the teams tied heading into the final frame.

The teams traded goals in the third, including Ward with his second of the game, to send it to overtime at 3-3.

It was just under four minutes into the extra frame that Ward capped off the hat trick, giving Merritt its first win of the season.

The three stars of the game was an all-Merritt roster. For his efforts Ward took first star, Maddocks took second in stopping a whopping 50 of 53 Wenatchee shots, and Will Bowman rounded it out with a pair of assists.

NVSC returns to in-person competition

Photos submitted

Jake Courtepatte NEWSROOM@ MERRITTHERALD. COM

The Nicola Valley Skating Club was back in competitive action on the ice in Kamloops late last month, for the first time since the pandemic struck.

It was a welcome sense of normalcy for those that were evacuated out of their own rink.

“Our skaters and community have been through so much these past few weeks,” said Coach Diana Lorenz.

“We didn’t even know where everyone had landed after being evacuated and whether skaters would continue to participate, or even had their skates and attire.”

Valleyview, Kamloops and Salmon Arm Skating Club all reached out offering practice time.

“It was a really good sports-like gesture to offer fellow competitors a place to train,” said Lorenz.

Evacuated skaters gathered from Kelowna, Kamloops & Merritt.

Lorenz added that she was “extremely proud.”

“...so wonderful to see them shine considering the circumstances.”

NVSC is back with regular season programs for this week and next. They are holding registration after Dec. 11 for winter sessions, and hoping to have a family & friend Christmas skate.

The next competition is in February for Regional Championships in Armstrong.

NVSC results

- Abby

Thoms - 3rd Place Bronze medal in STAR 3, 13+

- Sophie

Thuveson - Silver Assessment STAR 1 elements

- Everley

Russell - Silver Assessment STAR 1 elements

- Jayda

Starrs - Silver Assessment STAR 3

- Kate van Rensburg

- Bronze Assessment STAR 3

- Frances

Reid - Silver Assessment STAR 1 elements

- Marissa Ouimet

- Bronze Assessment STAR 2

- Avery

Starrs - Gold Assessment STAR 1 elements

Merritt Centennials vs

PENTICTON VEES, DECEMBER 7 AT 7:00 P.M., NICOLA VALLEY MEMORIAL ARENA WEST KELOWNA WARRIORS, DECEMBER 10 AT 7:00 P.M., ROYAL LEPAGE PLACE WENATCHEE WILD, DECEMBER 11 AT 7:00 P.M., NICOLA VALLEY MEMORIAL ARENA

COMMUNITY

‘Web of kindness’ brings Merritt kids together

Morgan Hampton REPORTER@MERRITTHERALD.COM

Ewa Olguin, the StrongStart coordinator at Diamond Vale Elementary School was one of many Merrittonians who ended up in Kamloops following a city-wide Evacuation Order on Nov. 15.

Olguin and her family were put up at the Thompson Hotel and Conference Centre, where she soon discovered several of her StrongStart students and families had also ended up. “The first week when we arrived at the Thompson Hotel, I realized there were lots of parents from my Strong Start in Diamond Vale and also lots of parents from Diamond Vale area with students in older classes,” explained Olguin.

“They were really stressed, there was so much unknown, that week was one of the worst weeks for all of us. So, I saw them and I said, ‘oh I have some crayons, let’s do colouring, let’s read a book, let’s have some snacks.’ We sat in the lobby and all those kids came, I had seven or eight kids.”

The children asked if they could meet again in the lobby the next day, and Olguin agreed. It didn’t take long for the owner of the hotel to notice the joy that the impromptu set up brought to the evacuated children and offer Olguin the use of the conference centre.

Additionally, Olguin was able to connect with a member of the Kamloops Salvation Army, who offered to assist in her play time program.

“I normally always provide snacks, but at this point I didn’t have much,” Olguin explained, requesting that snacks be provided for her students, if possible.

“She said, I will get you everything that you need, just tell me what you need.”

The Salvation Army provided snacks and juice as well as craft supplies.

Heather Hatfield of Merritt’s White Bear Daycare also donated snacks and toys. In the meantime, the Salvation Army had reached out to United Way, who brought additional items to the hotel.

“It was like a web of kindness, going from Salvation Army to Heather to United Way,” said Olguin.

By this time, Olguin had sent messages to parents she knew telling them they were welcome to bring their children down to have fun, connect with other children and ease evacuation stresses, whether they were StrongStart students or not.

“Our big room became a safe room,” said Olguin.

StrongStart is for children aged 0-5, but Olguin now welcomes roughly 15 children who range from babies to grade 5 students.

“I started this because I wanted to help them to feel normal, to forget about the flood,” said Olguin.

“One of the girls is from Phase 4 and her whole house is gone, Central School is flooded. She told me, ‘Ewa, I don’t have a house, I don’t have a school, but I’m so glad I have you’, and I started crying.”

Following an interview with Olguin, Shelley Joyce of CBC Radio’s Daybreak Kamloops arranged a free trip to the BC Wildlife Park to view the Christmas light displays.

Olguin informed the mother of one of the children, who said that her daughter had been “emotional and depressed” since the evacuation. The seven year old is now brimming over with excitement, her worries temporarily forgotten.

Following the CBC interview, Olguin said that at least two to three people a day were coming by the hotel to drop off gifts and supplies. Jane Kempston, Student Support Services for SD58, arranged a meeting between Ewa and members of faculty for Kamloops SD73, where some of those gifts could be more widely distributed.

“The kids are happy. The hotel also is providing us with some cereal and milk every morning, and I am just thankful to them because they also did a meet and greet for all the people from Merritt.”

The Thompson Hotel also sponsored a bingo game for Merritt evacuees, and employees of the attached restaurant brought soup and scones over.

“Those people never get recognized, they work so hard behind the scenes,” said Olguin.

“But if it was not for them, this would not have happened.”

Kempston was also instrumental in ensuring Olguin had the support she needed, noting that she always goes “above and beyond”, no matter the situation.

Olguin’s husband, Manuel, has also played a key role in the ongoing acts of kindness.

“I could not do this without his support.”

CONTAIN-IT STORAGE ■ Approved mini-storage ■ On-site rentals ■ Secured ■ Sale of New & Used storage containers 1750 Hill Street ■ Phone: 250-315-3000 THE CHURCHES OF MERRITT WELCOME YOU

Crossroads Community Church

2990 Voght St. • 250-378-2911• Service Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m.

Merritt Baptist Church

Sunday service (indoors), 10 am. Phone (250)378-2464 for more info and for prayer support. Merritt Lutheran Fellowship in St. Michael's Anglican Hall • 250-378-9899 Service Time: 3rd Sunday each month 1:00 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church Corner of Jackson & Blair • 250-378-2919 Mass Time: Sundays 9:00 a.m. St. Michael’s Anglican Church 1990 Chapman St. • 250-378-3772 Service Times: 2nd and 4th Sundays only - 10:00 a.m. Trinity United Church Corner of Quilchena & Chapman • 250-378-5735 Service Time every Sunday - 10 am

Somang Mission Community Church (SMC) 1755 Coldwater Ave. (The Cadet Hall) Sunday Service Time: 4:00 pm • 250-280-1268 Nicola Valley Evangelical Free Church 1950 Maxwell St. • 250-378-9502 Service Time: Sundays 10:00 a.m.