Toque Tuesday street hockey players spent as much time laughing as they did trying to score but the message of the Feb. 6 event was serious.
Organizer Tim Baillie said the event, while it does bring in some donations, is really intended to create awareness about people living on the streets. The event started 13 years ago in Surrey.
“I was working as a firefighter in those days and realize that people weren’t paying attention to homeless and the situation that was in Surrey. So I figured out let’s have some fun,” he said.
Toque Tuesday uses a Canadian tradition – shinny – to bring together the community.
The retired Surrey firefighter and Langley resident moved the event from Surrey to the Langley Events Centre starting this year and had lots of support from local agencies that help the unhoused, as well as community members, such as local firefighters.
“We loused up with the weather,” Baillie joked.
He prefers when the event is held during snowy or rainy weather, explaining that it’s a way to increase awareness for participants since people without homes have no choice but to deal with the weather.
“They lose fingers and toes [in inclement weather],” Baillie commented.
When Toque Tuesday started, many of the teams were made up of people who are on the streets. The Trilogy House team travelled from Surrey to take part in the Langley event with the other teams featuring firefighters, Vancouver Giants representatives, members of agencies such as Langley Community Services Society, and the Lookout Society, and others. Sunrise Ridge Elementary in Cloverdale brought a team of about 20 kids, having participated in the Surrey event in the past.
This Saturday, get ready for a cozy treat! 🧢🏒
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 8, 2024
We're giving away Vancouver Giants Toques! The first 500 kids wearing their minor hockey jerseys will snag a Giants Toque. Don't miss out on this cool giveaway! pic.twitter.com/uXOnI9ycYt
IAFF local 4550 firefighters came to Toque Tuesday with a donation of $500 feminine hygiene products, Your City Sports donated bout 450 pairs of new socks, and others donated. Firefighters grilled up hot dogs by donation and all the money and items were distributed to local groups that work with people living on the streets.
Your G-Men are proud to join @TLFCS for Toque Tuesday Hockey Day, supporting Langley’s homeless and those in need.
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 6, 2024
Thanks for having us! 🏒❤️ pic.twitter.com/lWkIEVN02E
Baillie and other members of the Surrey firefighter union started feeding the homeless around 1998.
“I’ve run into a lot of people in that time on the streets,” he noted.
Some he thought had turned their lives around and found housing have died while others who seemed so entrenched in drugs have survived and thrived. He pointed to one woman, who was emaciated and addicted to street drugs. She told him her dream was to be a social worker to help others. Years later he met her when she was healthy and was a social worker.
That’s what helps keep him motivated.
“I’m not gonna solve homelessness with this. I’m going to raise awareness and I’m gonna try to keep them alive,” he said.
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