SPRINGHILL - Not everyone plays hockey. Even the Junior C Colts realize that. With that in mind, the team has purchased and donated a basketball net to the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Centre in appreciation of their relationship with the facility during their past season in the Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League. With excess funds raised from a recent gentlemen's hockey tournament, the Tim Hortons Junior C Colts bought the portable basketball net to be used at the facility for its programs. Colts coach Paul Atkinson explained that active living co-ordinator Landon Crowe provided a lot of assistance with putting on the tournament, and had mentioned he was trying to get some basketball programming up and running. "We made what we wanted to make (from the tournament), we had a little extra and we donated it back," said Atkinson. "It's all about giving and taking. If you take, you have to give. Our tam's all about the kids, and making sure all kids have opportunities, not just hockey players." Crowe said any kind of donation is always appreciated at the facility, but when it's something that can help offer better services or provide more opportunities for young people, it's that much better. "To have an organization or a group show how much they appreciate the effort and time you put into things around here to run services, for them to show appreciation like that, that's huge," he said. While the local schools have always had strong basketball programs, Crowe said there has always been a need to expand that in the community to such areas as summer programs, and that he has had several people ask him about that possibility. He is working on making such a program possible, and said the net would also be available for such activities as day camps. The Junior C team moved to the Richard Calder Arena midway through last season after beginning its year at the Oxford Arena. It is now getting ready for what Atkinson hopes will be another season in Springhill. "We just couldn't make it in Oxford," he said. "We were losing money every game. Now we're working with Landon and Jonathan (Darnbraugh, interim leisure service co-ordinator) to get some ice time secured, and I think we're almost there with that. We're going to play out of here, and draw as many local kids as we can."
