Komets Sight-Impaired Goaltender Launches his new Book

Carol and I were honoured today to be invited to the launch of Robert McGregor's recently published book, A Journey of a Thousand Steps. Robert is a sight-impaired goaltender with the Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program.

In his book, Robert recounts his battle with cancer, a kidney transplant, his vision problems and how he has overcome these obstacles.

Robert's family and many of his friends were on hand at the McGregor cottage to celebrate the occasion.

CONGRATULATIONS, Robert! You have been such an inspiration to so many people including Carol and me and all your Komets teammates, coaches and volunteers. 

We are all so very proud of you, Robert!!!

The author, Robert McGregor

 

Robert with his Aunt Marg and his father John

 

Robert with his family members

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The Book

Kawartha Komets Founder Honoured by City of Peterborough

Mayor Diane Therrien, Carol, David and Councillor Dean Pappas

The City of Peterborough held its annual Civic Awards event last night.  Carol & David Fisher were honoured to received one of the Community Betterment awards for their work with the Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program.

It should have been just Carol at the podium because she founded the organization and spends countless hours each week to ensure that girls, boys, teens and adults with physical, emotional and/or neurodevelopment challenges can play the game they love...HOCKEY!

Many thanks to whoever it was who nominated us and to the members of our Board of Directors who attended the ceremony to show their support. What a special way to celebrate the completion of our 10th season!

THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this special needs hockey program such a success!

Kawartha Komets' Meteors Player Wins GOLD

Kawartha Komets Meteors player, Stone Shearer, dropped by the registration table at the Evinrude Centre on June 1st to proudly show us the Gold Medal he won at the Special Olympics Youth Games in Toronto in May.

Stone, along with several other Komets players, plays for the Special Olympics Peterborough Wolves who won GOLD in floor hockey at the Youth Games.

CONGRATULATIONS, Stone, and all the Peterborough Wolves!

VOLUNTEERS...the backbone, the lifeblood, the sustaining force, the joyful cheerleaders of any successful organization. 

Three of these amazing people were manning the table at our Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program Registration Day at the Evinrude Centre on Saturday, June 1st. 

Many thanks to (from left to right) Nancy McCarthy, Jill Duncan and Tia Fraser. 

We appreciate your willingness to help out so very much!

Peterborough Wolves Win GOLD at Special Olympics Youth Games

CONGRATULATIONS to the Special Olympics Peterborough Wolves floor hockey team for winning GOLD at the Special Olympics Youth Games in Toronto. 

Many of the Wolves also play ice hockey for the Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program. Brandon Allen (Vansickle), Jacob Zitman, Ryan Blinn, Kyle Johnson, Stone Shearer & Quinten Over all play for the Komets while Michael Brioux and Dylan Armstrong are Komets alumni members. 

We are very proud of all of you!

Monthly Charitable Giving Through Canada Helps

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program has several donors who regularly support our athletes through the Canada Helps program. 

Discover how the Canada Helps program works by clicking here! 

Canada Helps takes a very small percentage of your donation and takes care of issuing the official income tax receipt.

As the Kawartha Komets is a registered charitable organization, you can donate directly to the Komets and receive an official receipt or...you can make your donation through Canada Helps which saves the Komets some administrative work.

Through Canada Helps you can arrange to make monthly donations to the Kawartha Komets.  Click on the link below for more information regarding monthly donations.

CLICK HERE to learn more about how you can invest in the lives of our athletes.

Our players, families, coaches, trainers, volunteers, bench support staff and board members thank you for your investment in our program.

THANK YOU!!!     

Overstock Liquidation Charity Garage Sale

OVERSTOCK LIQUIDATION CHARITY GARAGE SALE

MAY 17th, 18th and 19th, 2019

Be sure to drop by the Overstock Liquidation Charity Garage Sale this weekend. Friday, May 17th from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday, May 18th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 19th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sale will take place at 1700 5th Line, Selwyn at the corner of Lakefield Road and 5th Line...just north of the old Giant Tiger location.

100% of the proceeds will go to Overstock's Housing Initiative for Adults with Disabilities.

A very worthy cause! See you there!!!

Kawartha Komets REGISTRATION FORM for the 2019-2020 Season

The new 2019-2020 Registration Forms for the Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program are now available online.

Please click here for the 2019-2020 Registration Form. THANK YOU! 

Registration Fees are only $300.00 per season.  

REGISTRATION is ALWAYS OPEN.  You're never too late!

In this, our 11th season, we have kept our registration fee at a very affordable price which now includes a very comprehensive insurance package.

If you have any questions about registration, please give Carol a call @ (705) 750-0655 (office) or (705) 868-8825 (cell)

NOTE:  Our REGISTRATION DAY will take place on Saturday, June 1st, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Evinrude Centre.

Kawartha Komets 10th Anniversary Year-End Banquet

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program celebrated the completion of our 10th Anniversary Season at our year-end banquet on Saturday, May 4th at Rhema Christian School.

The Komets had 4 teams with a total of 64 players for our 10th season.

Our players enjoyed the visit by Critters for Hire (see photos) and a demonstration by Blades of Glory (see photo).

Each player received a certificate of recognition from the Government of Ontario signed by our local MPP David Smith and a beautiful 10th Anniversary medallion.

We want to thank everyone who made our 10th Anniversary season the success that it was.  A big THANK YOU to our primary sponsor, Mary McGee, and our associate sponsor, Hobies Sports.  Thank you to our players, families, care givers, coaches, trainers, bench support staff, volunteers, referees and board members.  Thank you's to all the individuals, businesses and other organizations who made donations.  THANK YOU to the City of Peterborough for the Community Investment Grant of $7,500 and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (Moustache Fund) for your grant of $2,350.  Thank you to the CN Railroaders for your donation of $500 in recognition of your former employee, Kevin Smith, who is a coach, trainer, Co-ordinator of Volunteers and a board member of the Kawartha Komets.

We had a great time celebrating at the banquet and now we begin preparations for the 2019-2020 season.

The Komets have been BLAZING for 10 years and we continue to grow...and BLAZE!!!

Demonstration by Blades of Glory

Meteors player, Stone Shearer. with Head Coach Josh Reesor

Saturns player, Stephanie Smith, with coaches Kevin Smith and Joanne Haacke

Critters for Hire brought their animals

Baby Ducks from Critters for Hire

10th Anniversary Medallions

We had close to 150 people at Rhema Christian School

Meteors player, Richard Mack, with coaches Sophie Leduc and Josh Reesor

Phoenix Player, Bailey Gibson, with coaches Kevin Smith and Adam White

Galaxy player, Peter Dykstra, with his head coach Jeff Botuik (right) and Kevin Smith

THANK YOU for an AMAZING 10th ANNIVERSARY SEASON for the KOMETS

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program just completed our 10th Anniversary Season with four teams and welcomed 16 new players and families.

We wish to thank our committed staff and volunteers for their efforts this season.  Many thanks to the families and caregivers who made sure that their hockey players got to the rink every weekend.  THANK YOU to all the players who gave their best every weekend.  Many thanks to our Board of Directors who served the organization so well.  

We are very grateful to our primary sponsor, Mary McGee, for her generous, ongoing support.  Thanks to Gary Holbrook from Hobies Sports for being an amazing Associate Sponsor.  Thank you, Austin Trophies, for designing our 10th Anniversary pins and medals.  We appreciate everything that National Sports does for our organization, families and players.  You always treat us well and your Association Support Program is great.

A big THANK YOU to all the out-of-town teams who travel quite a distance to Peterborough to play the Komets.  We appreciate your willingness to come to us.

Thanks to the incredible referees who came out week after week to officiate our games.  Thanks to the many businesses, service clubs, organizations and individuals who made significant donations to make the Komets program such a success.  

A big thank you to the City of Peterborough for your $7,500 Community Investment Grant and to the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough, the Moustache Fund, for your $2,350 grant.  Thank you to the CN Railroaders for your $500 grant in recognition Kevin Smith's service with CN.  Kevin is a Komets coach, board member, trainer and Co-ordinator of Volunteers.

Thank you, Dave Haacke and Jim Parkes, from DNS Real Estate Limited Brokerage for your recent donation of $400.

Thank you, Dave Smith...our local MPP...for your ongoing support of special needs hockey.

Our sincere thanks to the amazing staff at the Evinrude Centre who make sure every Saturday that we have everything we need. 

We are sincerely grateful to everyone who made Season # 10 the best year ever!  

The Komets were BLAZING!!!

Thank you, Bonnie Edwards, for these incredible team photos.  You were a pleasure to work with.  Check out Bonnie's web site at www.bephoto.ca

The SATURNS our Junior team

The GALAXY, our Intermediate # 1 team

The METEORS, our Intermediate # 2 team

The PHOENIX, our Senior team

Kawartha Komets Receive Community Investment Grant

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program was thrilled to learn that we have been awarded a $7,500. Community Investment Grant by the City of Peterborough. This is the 3rd year that we have qualified for this type of grant and we have been successful each year in receiving these funds.

Many thanks to the City of Peterborough for deeming the Kawartha Komets to be worthy recipients of Community Investment Grant. We will be using these funds to further our program as we seek to fulfill our mandate of "Making Dreams Come True" for our players.

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program just celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a very successful season with four teams and 62 players.

BLAZE KOMETS, BLAZE!

Kawartha Komets Hockey Players Compete at Special Olympics Durham Invitational Swim Meet

Twenty-one Peterborough Special Olympics swimmers brought home 56 ribbons from the Durham Invitational Swim Meet held in Pickering on March 17.

Four (4) of our Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program's players competed and won ribbons.

Jeff Anderson, from the Saturns team, won the 50m free. Matthew Ludlow, from the Phoenix team, placed first in the 25m free. Gillian McHugh, from the Meteors team, finished second in the 25m free and third place in the 25m back. Miriam McHugh, from the Meteors team, captured gold in the 50m free, silver in the 50m back and bronze in the 25m back and 25m free.

CONGRATULATIONS to these Kawartha Komets players and to all the Special OIympian Swimmers who did so well at this Swim Meet.  CONGRATULATIONS, as well, to Debbie Quinlan, Jennifer Scates and all the coaching staff on your success.

Peterborough Special Olympics will send 29 swimmers to the provincial qualifying meet in Aurora on May 26.

THANK YOU to Local Businesses and Individuals

The Kawartha Komets Special Needs Hockey Program would like to say a big THANK YOU to the following local businesses and individuals who made generous donations to help send our four (4) hockey teams to the KIP FRIENDSHIP TOURNAMENT in Kitchener last month. Your generosity is much appreciated by everyone in the Komets organization. THANK YOU!

Please support these local businesses and thank them for their support of special needs hockey in our community. THANK YOU!

Best Western PLUS Otonabee Inn
Currie Tire Ltd.
ServiceMaster Restore
Rocky Ridge Drinking Water
Ralph Bastian Dentistry
Betty Ann Gynane
Dan & Caroline Grady
Pat & Stella Casey
Anonymous Donor ($1,000)

Farewell Celebration for our Special Olympians Leaving for Abu Dhabi

What a celebration last night at the Special Olympics Send Off Dance for our Peterborough Special Olympians, Brandon Vansickle, Crystal Cochrane and Dylan Armstrong!  

Left to right...Brandon, Dylan and Crystal

These incredible athletes will be leaving next Thursday for Abu Dhabi for the Special Olympics World Games. Several police officers were on hand to make a presentation to our athletes and send them off with their best wishes. Lesley Parnell, City Councillor, wished them all the best on behalf of the City of Peterborough.

It was a great evening with good people, good music and dancing and lots of fun. We hope everyone has a great time...the athletes and parents...Robert, Andrew, Sylvia and Nancy!

NOTE:  Brandon plays hockey for the Kawartha Komets, Dylan played for the Komets for many years and Crystal is a good friend of many of our Komets players and families.

Kawartha Komets Welcome the Kitchener Ice Pirates

What an example of making something great from a difficult situation!
We received an e-mail from our contact with the Kitchener Ice Pirates early this morning stating that they were having problems with the bus they had chartered and our three games with them here in Peterborough could be adversely impacted.
Some of the families who were driving were already on the road and weren't aware of the bus problem.
As it turned out enough people ended up driving from Kitchener and all three games were played with enough Ice Pirates in town to make for three amazing, exciting, well-played games.
Our sincere thanks to Kirsten Carr from the Ice Pirates who made the day a success even though she was unable to make the trip herself.
THANK YOU to all the Ice Pirates coaches, volunteers, players and parents who made the trip and were so understanding of the situation. We had an amazing day at the rink. The Ice Pirates left for Ajax after the games where they will be staying overnight and playing the Durham Dragons tomorrow morning!
THANK YOU, as well, to all our Kawartha Komets coaches, volunteers, players, families, caregivers and our amazing referee, Mara Wilson!

Another memorable day for special needs hockey!