LIFE


way to check in to Lac Leamy Hotel in Gatineau, which would be their home for the next five days. I had to make a stop to pick up some


MARK PAPOUSEK


gift bags at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, then made my way over to Lac Leamy to deliver them to the family. When I was waiting in the lobby of the hotel, in walked James Duthie of TSN. I knew James from his Ottawa days


at CJOH. He asked me what I was doing with all the bags. I explained Vinnie’s wish. James immediately wanted to meet him. Of course, being from Chicago,


When you Wish Upon a Star VINNIE WITH PATRICK KANE. Sometimes when you are 10 years old and you


make a wish, there’s a good chance it won’t come true.


But if you’re a 10-year-old with a life-


threatening illness, and you make a wish with the Make A Wish Foundation, there is a very good chance it will happen. Vinnie suffered from bilateral optic gliomas at


infancy. When he was seven months old, he lost his right eye. Then he had to endure chemotherapy. Now, 10 years later − so far so good − there has been little change. The Make a Wish Foundation grants wishes


to children age three to 17 with life- threatening illnesses. Vinnie qualified for a wish, and after a year or so he decided that he would like to go to the NHL All-Star weekend in Ottawa. With the hard work of many individuals at the


Make A Wish chapter offices in Chicago, Illinois, and the office here in Ottawa, things began to take shape. It was a no- brainer for the NHL. They bend over backwards to help out a great cause and their showcase weekend would be the perfect venue.


24 BOUNDER MAGAZINE About a month before the event, I was asked if


I could be of some assistance. My wife works at the Make A Wish office here, and I am a wish-granter as well. And − oh yeah − as you probably know, I am a huge hockey fan. Being from Chicago, Vinnie is a big


Blackhawks fan. He especially likes Patrick Kane. On Jan. 26 this year, Vinnie arrived in Ottawa


with his parents Vince and Theresa and his uncle Mike. I had a lot of their information regarding tickets


and schedules, so I met them at the arrival gate. As soon as I met this extraordinary family, I knew that something special was about to happen. As we stood chatting and getting to know one


another, I noticed a lot of television cameras and reporters gathering in the airport. I stopped Brent Wallace from TSN and asked what players were coming in. He told me that Tyler Seguin of the Boston Bruins would be in anytime. We actually got to see him when he arrived. I brought the family across the road to pick up their GPS-equipped car and sent them on their


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the family had no idea who James Duthie was, but I introduced them and took their picture together. James saw that Vinnie was a Hawks fan (he was wearing a Hawks jersey) and asked if he was a big Patrick Kane fan. Well, Vinnie told him yes! James


knew the family would not be going the Captain’s Draft that night at the hotel because it was a casino, so no kids were allowed. He gave Theresa (Vinnie’s mom) his cell number and said to call him after 9:30 pm at the conclusion of the draft show. He said he would try to arrange a meeting with Vinnie and his hero.


With that done, James went off


for television duties and Vinnie and his family took the shuttle downtown to have a skate on the canal before it would close because of poor weather. Vinnie had a blast! He doesn’t play


hockey because of his eye condition, but he does skate, and he is an avid ball hockey player. By 10 that night, James called to say he couldn’t find Patrick Kane, but he did ask Vinnie for his seat number at Scotiabank Place for the weekend All-Star game and skills competition. Friday was supposed to be a relaxing


day, and so after breakfast Vinnie and his folks took the shuttle to the new Ottawa Convention Centre, the site of Scotiabank Fan Fair. Needless to say, there was not much relaxing. They spent eight hours checking out all the displays, playing games, and getting up close and personal with the one and only Stanley Cup.


continued on page 30 www.bounder.ca BOUNDER MAGAZINE 25


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