Today is an anniversary.
It’s the 10th annual Crone Cup in Owen Sound, an annual hockey game that pits the Girls team from OSCVI against their cross-city rivals, the West Hill Lady Raiders.
10 Years……..
The game is named for former OSCVI student Jason Crone who was badly injured in a minor hockey game in 2003.
Following the incident, in very short order, Crone’s friends and schoolmates quickly put together the concept and from there, the format has grown and countless thousands of dollars have been raised for a variety of causes, most specifically, the Canadian Paraplegic Association.
In a strange coincidence, on this the 10th anniversary of the Crone Cup game, Jason tells me this is the FIRST time it’s ever been played on March 8th, which is the date on which he was injured in 2003.
The mishap in that game in 2003 meant Crone was confined to a wheelchair, which in truth hasn’t been confining at all.
Crone, who will be at the game today at the JD McArthur Arena, will depart for Vancouver later this month for the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby tryouts, a national team he’s been a dominant force on.
In April, Crone expects to be in England for a series of Olympic test matches for Wheelchair Rugby.
And then this summer, I anticipate Jason Crone will be right back in England for the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Confining ? Not really. Not totally.
There’s been a suggestion that the 10th annual Crone Cup will be the last Crone Cup.
If so, that would be a shame, since the benefits of this game, for so many people, in so many areas here and beyond, seen and unseen, have been tremendous.
I hope the 2012 Crone Cup Game between the Lady Falcons and Raiders is tremendous, and just the latest, and not the last of its kind.
I’m Fred Wallace