As a part of the Nothern Ontario community Urban Windows and Doors continues to make contributions to where it matters most, our kids! Urban sponsors minor league youth hockey clubs, donates to local causes and even backs local country star Larry Berrio. Here are just a few articles making headlines that were supported by Urban Windows and Doors.
NEHL play continues in the Valley
Dec 30, 2010- 2:50 PM
By: Randy Pascal
With high school sports completely shut down at this time of year, the Northeast House League remains as one of the few groups with games scheduled over the Christmas break. A doubleheader at Centennial Arena in Hanmer Tuesday evening produced a pair of contrasting results.
In the bantam contest, Alex Doucet rifled a hat trick, leading Valley East Central Printers to a 6-1 win over Valley East Urban Windows. Devin Kostiw, Alex Fournier and Skyler Perreault rounded out the scoring for the winners, with Cory Hannon netting the only marker for Urban.
It was much tighter in the second encounter as the Valley East King Sportswear and the Coniston Flames played to a 5-5 draw in minor-midget action. Kyle Hartman, Jesse Henry, Dylan Lloyd, Jeremi Foisy and Kyle Hughson all found the back of the net for King Sportswear while Riley Lefrancois, with a pair, Justin Pelley, Austin Ackerland and Patrick Labelle answered for the visitors.
Nich Crawford's family says support has been overwhelming
By: Laurel Myers - Sudbury Northern Life Staff
Date: January 17th, 2011
They say it takes a community to raise a child.
The Greater Sudbury community has proven over the past couple weeks that when that child goes down, there's many arms there to lift him right back up.
Nicholas Crawford, a member of the Nickel Centre Major Atom Flyers, has spent the last two-and-a-half weeks at the Toronto Sick Kids' Hospital recovering from a perforated bowel.
After undergoing surgery at Sudbury Regional Hospital on Dec. 30, the 10-year-old was sent to the Toronto hospital.
“Since then, he's endured many complications from the infection from his perforated bowel and had to undergo two more surgeries,” Erin Savoie, manager of the Nickel Centre Major Atom Flyers, said. “At one point, he was on a ventilator because he wasn't able to breath on his own.
“Now he's recovering quite well but he still has a long ways to go,” she added.
His mother, Leigh Crawford, updated the Facebook group, Prayers for Nicholas Crawford, on the morning of Jan. 17 to let people know Nich's health is improving.
“If all goes well, he will be out of here by the end of the week and will be going straight home without a stop at the Sudbury hospital,” she wrote. “The surgeon will see him in February and then he will have surgery in the middle of March to reverse the ostomy (a surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of bodily wastes).
“It looks like his March break might be as rotten as his Christmas break, but he will be as good as new by summer break.”
While Nich's been in Toronto, Leigh and husband Mike have constantly been by their son's side. Back at home, the Sudbury hockey and business communities has seen to it that the costs associated with travel, accommodations and lost wages would not put an added financial burden on the family.
“I think the story here is about Nich... a perfectly healthy little boy came close to not being around anymore,” Savoie said. “But the real story for me is how the community has come together.”
Lorraine Roberts, assistant manager of the Garson Home Hardware, sharpens a pair of skates on the weekend as part of a fundraiser for Nicholas Crawford, a member of the Nickel Centre Flyers who has been in Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto since Dec. 30, recovering from a perforated bowel. Photo by Laurel Myers.
After hearing about Nich's condition, Savoie put out an e-mail to some teams in the Flyers' league, asking for financial support for the Crawford family. She said the response has been overwhelming.
“Not only has every team in our division responded, but we started getting phone calls from other hockey teams, teams that weren't even in our division...All different levels, from tyke up to midget, have made contributions.
“I can't put it into words how overwhelming that was for me to see the hockey community come together to support one of their own.”
It's gone beyond the hockey community though. Savoie has also received donations from Dance Evolution and Urban Windows and Doors. During the weekend, more local businesses stepped up with fundraisers for the Garson family.
The RHP Training Centre, on Kelly Lake Road, hosted a Treadmill-A-Thon, running their treadmills for 24-hours starting at 10 a.m. Jan. 15, collecting donations from participants.
The Garson and Second Avenue Home Hardware locations collected money from all skate sharpening over the weekend.
Lorraine Roberts, assistant manager of the Garson Home Hardware, said her boss often sponsors children in the minor hockey league. Despite the short notice, Roberts said the fundraiser was a success.
“There have been some people who have said 'I'll have my skates sharpened and I'll pay for two.' There's extra money being put in that way as well.”
In addition to the fundraisers that took place over the weekend, a portion of the proceeds from a sno-pitch tournament taking place Feb. 5 and 6 at Terry Fox Sports Complex, will also be donated to the Crawford family.
“Being a friend and teammate of Nich's dad, Mike, for years, and having children of my own, I understand what they are going through,” Shawn Bomhower, organizer of the tournament, said. “They are caring people and would do it for anybody else in their position.”
Savoie said she speaks with the Crawfords daily and they are overwhelmed and thankful for the support.
“It's been very emotional for them to see their son have to endure this. Leigh keeps saying that one of the things that helped her get through the most trying times of Nich's ordeal was the prayers, e-mails and phone calls. She said it really made a difference for her to be able to stay strong for her son.”
As for the Flyers, they're feeling their teammate's absence.
Cameron Buttazzoni, 10, has been playing hockey with Nich for the last seven years. Classmates as well as teammates, the two have developed a close friendship on and off the ice.
“He's a good friend,” the Flyers' captain said. “He goes to my school. We play soccer together every recess and have fun.
Cameron said he misses his friend's presence on the ice.
“We've been losing a lot more games without him,” he said. “He scores about one or two goals a game.”
Kiana Verwski, 10, has been playing hockey with Nich for the last year. She described him as a “very good” hockey player who “passes a lot.”
“He's somebody to really look up to,” she said. “He's very talented.”
She said the team definitely notices his absence on the bench.
“There's a little less comedy,” she said with a smile. “He was very funny.”
Savoie described Nich as “fire on ice.”
“He's a true competitor,” she said. “He likes to win, and I think that competitive spirit has really helped him with his illness.”
Larry Berrio
Larry Berrio Snow Tour
Larry Berrio gets ready to hit the trails again this winter with his 2012 Polaris Rush. With major sponsors like Polaris, Mid City Motorsports, Snowmobiler TV, Snow Goer Magazine, Urban Windows and Doors, Northern RV and many others have got behind Larry and his Winter Snow Tour.
Many dates are in place for this winter across Ontario as Larry Berrio and his fully "pimped out" snowmobile and trailer hit the trails.