An equipment drive in memory of Edmonton Oilers great Dave Semenko began Monday. Semenko died in 2017 after a short battle with cancer.
Dave's Drive is a partnership between the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and Sport Central.
Friend and teammate Kevin Lowe is the honorary chair.
"He was a great friend to many in this city, having been here for a lot of years," Lowe said. "Dave was so good to everyone, and he would be proud of this as well."
Sports Central provides sporting equipment of all kinds to kids in need. It was formed in 1991 and relies on donations and volunteers to help ensure all kids can participate in sport.
Donations are being accepted at Sport Central, police stations and fire halls from Oct. 7 to 21.
"The drive is primarily to call on Edmontonians of good will to donate their gently used sports equipment to us so that we can get those out to kids in need," Sport Central executive director Sheldon Oleksyn said on CTV Morning Live Edmonton. "And the drive is also creating awareness, because we know that not every child that needs equipment knows about us, so we're trying to solve that issue."
Cash donations are also welcome and help the organization fill equipment gaps. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation will match every dollar donated during Dave's Drive, up to $25,000.
The campaign will be featured at the Oilers' home game on Oct. 16.
This is the equipment Sport Central urgently needs now:
- Junior hockey sticks (right and left-handed)
- Jocks & Jills for hockey
- Hockey helmets (especially sizes medium and large)
- Hockey neckguards
- Junior soccer shoes & shin pads
- Hockey elbow pads
- Bike helmets
- Smaller hockey skates (sizes 1 - 6)
- Junior goalie equipment
- Baseball gloves & bats
