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Calgarians lace 'em up to honour young cancer victim

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Hundreds of Calgarians laced up their skates and hit the ice Sunday for a good cause.

It was the inaugural Skate the Lake event, a fundraiser for the Canadian Children’s Brain Cancer Foundation, held at McKenzie Lake in memory of eight-year-old Jordan Feradi.

The young hockey player died in 2012 after an eight-month battle with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, an inoperable tumour in the brain stem. 

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His father, John Feradi, said it was “humbling” to see more than 300 people come out for the event, including many of his son’s hockey and school friends.

“We had been so busy with planning even before this day — just the red tape you have to go through to get a foundation started — that you don’t have time to sit and reflect and think,” Feradi said. 

“On the way here, it started to come home that it’s happening. The support of the community is giving us a lift.”

Shawna and John Feradi stand in front of an impromptu hockey game at McKenzie Lake in Calgary on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. Over 350 Calgarians gathered to skate and play hockey in memory of Jordan Feradi and to raise money for the Canadian Children’s Brain Cancer Foundation.
Shawna and John Feradi stand in front of an impromptu hockey game at McKenzie Lake in Calgary on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016. Over 350 Calgarians gathered to skate and play hockey in memory of Jordan Feradi and to raise money for the Canadian Children’s Brain Cancer Foundation. Photo by Aryn Toombs /PostMedia

During Jordan’s cancer battle, the Feradi family said they experienced a lack of resources in Canada and were spurred to raise awareness as well as funds for childhood cancer research.

With the formation of the foundation, Feradi said he hopes to be able to make a difference, starting with Sunday’s fundraiser. He hopes to make Skate the Lake an annual event.

Participants paid $30 to skate around McKenzie Lake, playing hockey or skating down the pathways, taking breaks to drink hot chocolate and eat pizza.

Feradi credited the foundation’s youth council, made up of his son’s friends, with doing a lot of the work organizing and promoting the event.

“It was a bit of a healing moment,” Feradi said. “When we lost him and he was sick, it was something that affected an entire community. This was a way to support the event and make themselves feel better about things.”

cho@calgaryherald.com

twitter.com/clara_ho

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