• As the regular season comes to a close and the Stouffville Spirit fight for playoff contention, players are still making time to raise awareness about the importance of giving blood.
  • Earlier this month, Spirit players Odaro Ewere and Julian Demiglio attended the Canadian Mar Thoma Church blood donation clinic in Stouffville.
  • While players usually donate, doing so on a game day is not an option. Therefore, the Spirit crew were present to express gratitude to donors and distribute free tickets.
  • The Spirit collaborates with Roy O’Boyle of the Lions Club of Stouffville and Ivan Harris of Eastern Gate Village. They coordinate clinic volunteers who monitor blood donors, serve snacks, and offer warm wishes after donations are made.
  • The next blood donation clinic in Stouffville will be held on March 16 at 159 Sandiford Drive. It is by appointment only, which can be made by visiting blood.ca.

Stouffville was the first Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) member to become an official Hockey Gives Blood team. Hockey Gives Blood is a non-profit organization partnered with Canadian Blood Services. Highlighting the importance of blood, plasma, stem cell, organ, and tissue donation, they focus on engagement and education within the hockey community.

Over the years, the Spirit have also utilized numerous game days to honour donors and recipients as well as sector volunteers.

Beyond their community work, the Spirit impressed with a 6-2 victory over the Eastern Conference’s top-ranked Trenton Golden Hawks last Saturday. However, a 1-4 loss to the Cobourg Cougars on Monday did not help in their efforts to secure a post-season opportunity. Yesterday’s match-up against the Markham Royals was postponed due to weather, meaning eight games still remain in the Spirit’s 2023-2024 regular season.

Stouffville, who is currently tied with Lindsay in 8th place and the final playoff berth, is preparing to face two Western Conference teams over the long weekend. They will first journey to Oakville tomorrow night for a 7 p.m. contest against the Blades. They will then take on the Western Conference’s #5 Georgetown Raiders in a 2:30 p.m. Family Day matinee at the Stouffville Arena.

*Pictured: Spirit captain Odaro Ewere and past-player Carson Eagles at a Stouffville blood donation clinic in 2023