Written by Sam Sgro
On January 6th, 2022, five members of Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team were chosen to appear on CBC Game Show “Family Feud Canada” as part of their celebrity special episodes. The team, comprised of Blayre Turnbull, Laura Stacey, Sarah Nurse, Marie-Philip Poulin and Family Feud Canada Team Captain Natalie Spooner, were asked to choose a charity to play for, and they graciously chose the Grindstone Award Foundation as their beneficiary.
Host Gerry Dee’s questions and the players’ quick, feisty, and well-though-out answers, the audience laughing and cheering them on. They competed hard for first place, something this group of five knows how to do very well. Although they did not come up victorious with the top prize of $10,000, which went to Olympian Perdita Felicien and her team of Athletics stars, they took second and won $5,000.
The Grindstone Award Foundation is an organization that spans nationwide to help girls play hockey by providing them with financial grants. Each grant recipient gets $500 towards their hockey season and, with the amazing work of the National Women’s Team, it means ten more girls can play hockey. It means ten more girls are positively impacted by the sport and can be Canada’s future stars. In addition, the exposure Grindstone received on national TV with Spooner so passionately and eloquently explaining what the charity does and why they chose to play for it, means more people are now aware of Grindstone and can both contribute to and utilize Grindstone’s resources for their female hockey players. This means so much for Grindstone and these girls. We are truly honoured that with all the great and impactful charities that exist nationwide, they chose to support Grindstone!
To Team Spooner, we thank you tremendously for making such an impact for young girls in the country. You five continue to inspire future generations both on and off the ice and we are forever grateful and honoured that you chose Grindstone. So many girls nationwide wish to be in your skates, representing Canada on the national stage, and through your contribution to Grindstone, you all have made this dream for so many girls that much more possible. You are all trailblazers for women and girls in the game and off the ice and inspirations to so many. Your impact, kindness and care will be remembered and felt for many years to come. We are so happy and honoured that you all brought recognition and awareness to Grindstone and so proudly spoke of our message.
Check out this clip of Team Spooner on CBC’s Family Feud Canada. The full episode can be seen on CBC Gem. (Video credit: CBC):
