Hundreds show for Ian Jenkins’ charity hockey event

PICTURES FROM THE CHARITY GAME – CLICK HERE: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigefoundation/sets/72157626834590980/show/

By: George Sipple -Detroit Free Press Sports Reporter

The hockey community had a purpose today.

Around 1,000 people helped make the Ian Jenkins charity hockey game a success and helped launch the Big E Foundation at Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth Township.

Ian (Big E) Jenkins, considered one of the best 15-year-old goaltenders in the U.S., died last Monday, after suffering a head injury on May 19 after falling out of the bed of a pickup truck and onto pavement in Milan. Jenkins was recently drafted in the second round by the London Knights in the 2011 Ontario Hockey League draft and was supposed to play there next season.

Jenkins’ private goaltending coach, Stan Matwijiw, came up with the saying “Have a purpose” in 2003 and began using it with his students. The idea was for each of his students to have a purpose when the budding athletes went out to practice.

Jenkins and Brandon Hope of Canton really took it to heart and began writing H.A.P. on their equipment.

“Ian and I started writing that into our blockers,” said Hope, who now plays for the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. “We wrote it inside our blocker because that’s the last piece of equipment we put on before we go out on the ice. If we get better at one or two things every time we’re on the ice, by the end of the year we’ll become that much better.

“Ian had a purpose in his life. He impacted so many people, friends, family. He’s still fulfilling his purpose up in heaven.”

Hope wanted everyone who came out to the event today to remember H.A.P.

“Just take something from this,” Hope said. “Think about what you do before you do it.”

Hope was among about 300 hockey players who turned out for the 4-hour event at Compuware, each donating $100 to the foundation to wear a No. 35 jersey and skate in remembrance of Jenkins.

Jenkins had told his father it wasn’t fair that some kids couldn’t afford to play hockey, and he didn’t understand why something couldn’t be done to fix that. The Big E Foundation will try to make an impact.

“I’m going to set up a foundation that’s going to help kids that need and want to play hockey to do it without their parents saying, ‘No, you can’t play because we can’t afford it,’” said Joel Jenkins, Ian’s father.

Among those who participated in Saturday’s games were members of Jenkins’ family, past and current teammates, OHL goaltenders Hope, Jack Campbell of the Windsor Spitfires and Mike Houser of the London Knights, and Michigan State defenseman Torey Krug.

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock, goaltender Chris Osgood and legend Ted Lindsay donated their time signing autographs to help raise money for the foundation.

“We’re a very tight community,” Matwijiw said of the large turnout, which included many people who had never met Ian Jenkins. “We’re people that care about each other. When the chips are down, you can count on hockey people to come together and get it done. There’s no doubt about it.”

So many goaltenders turned out that Joel Jenkins and youth hockey coach and event organizer Mike Hamilton came up with the idea of letting the goaltenders be the skaters and shoot into open nets for the first of several games that were played.

“We just said, wouldn’t it be a kick to see a goalie game,” Joel Jenkins said. “I’ve never seen it and I’ve been playing hockey since I was 4 years old. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment things, and it turned out pretty good.”

A memorial service for Jenkins was held this morning before the event at Compuware. Seeing the enthusiasm of the those who turned out for the event helped comfort Joel Jenkins.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “If every parent who lost a child could have this type of celebration, it would really help them in the healing process. It doesn’t fix it, but it sure helps to know people love you.”

Big “E” Foundation website: http://www.bigefoundation.org

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