Prior to the commencement of any hockey match, there is the usual suspense, as the details of the story that is about to unfold builds. The story that will unfold might see an assist that allows another player to score the deciding goal. It might be the goalie whose brilliant saves win the game. It's always the home team versus the visitors - with the home team fans looking for victory at the defeat of the visitors.
Saturday's Grande Prairie Storm [1] game at the Crystal Centre Canada Games Arena wasn't exactly like that.
It was unusual because not one but two visiting teams descended on the arena - the Olds Grizzlys and team Porchlight! Picture the scene as the freshly flooded ice is a frenzy of activity with figure skaters performing an interpretation of our national anthem, the Storm and the Grizzlys doing their warm up, and off toward the penalty box it's team Porchlight! Once the MC, Don Whiteford, announces the line up, he turns the crowd's attention - there are over 2,000 in attendance - towards Project Porchlight. The team is headed by Captain Stuart Hickox, and the line up includes Alderman Helen Rice from the City of Grande Prairie [2], Don Rowan representing sponsor EnCana Corporation [3], Deputy Reeve for the County of Grande Prairie Jack O'Toole, Amy Horne from Aquatera, and Porchlight staff. The MC acknowledges a contingent from the town of Fairview, which raise loud cheers!
With the 'spotlight' now focused on Porchlight, our Captain, outfitted in a team Porchlight hockey jersey, takes to centre ice. Only, what's he holding in hand ladies and gentlemen? That's not a hockey stick. It's a lamp! It's Hickox to centre ice, maneuvering effortlessly past the ring of assembled figure skaters, placing a floor lamp smack dab in the middle at centre ice. The MC tells the crowd that if everyone here tonight changed just one light bulb at home, they'd save $125,000 in our energy bills and 1200 tonnes of greenhouse gases. Tonight we're kicking off Project Porchlight in the Grande Prairie region and look to centre ice where Stuart Hickox is changing an old fashioned incandescent light bulb with an energy-efficient CFL.
The tension builds with this play. It's a Charlie Brown moment! What if Hickox fumbles the bulb? What if the light doesn't go on? What of that extension cord and skaters everywhere? And what about the fans - what are their thoughts about a man at centre ice with a lamp at a hockey game?
Storms' Captain Scott McNeill [4] navigates his way through the ring of figure skaters, intercepts Hickox at centre ice, reaches over, flicks the switch that begins the campaign to distribute 18,000 CFLs in the Grande Prairie Region. The crowd cheers! They like Porchlight!
Project Porchlight couldn't have chosen a more supportive venue to engage with the people of Grande Prairie. Don Moon, the manager for the Storm, provided presentation time, graphics and video display throughout the game, a highly visible location to set up our display and genuine hospitality. Don Whiteford, the arena's master of ceremonies, met with us prior to the game, spent time with us to come to know about Project Porchlight, and got our message out to the fans. Likewise there are many others who helped out in advance of the big night - Michelle Gairdner with the City, Steve Madden with the County, Jeff O'Donnell with Fairview, and Amy Horne with Aquatera.
Our display was visited by hundreds of patrons interested to learn about Project Porchlight. Many stepped up to try our "crank" - our human powered generator that demonstrates how much more energy it takes to light up an incandescent bulb versus a CFL. Others decided to get involved and took up the challenge to volunteer [5] to distribute light bulbs to their neighbours.
Our usually quiet Scott Payne who came out of his shell with the receptive audience at the Crystal Centre last night reports a conversation with a shop keeper who asked what brought him to town. With the mention of Project Porchlight, "his eyes lit up and he said, 'You guys were at the Storm game last night! Were you out on the ice?'"
"When I said that I had been he told me that our presentation was 'awesome' and that he liked when the 'guy on the ice with lamp had the Storm captain switch on the bulb.'"
We think you're pretty awesome, Grande Prairie. Thanks again!