On September 12, Kristen Cameron was struck by an impaired driver in a hit-and-run accident while she was cycling in Erie, Pennsylvania. Kristen, 25, is a Charlottetown, P.E.I., native, playing her minor hockey with the Charlottetown Minor Hockey Association.

As a result of the accident, Kristen sustained a serious spinal cord injury. She received immediate medical care at Hamot Medical Center in Erie and is now undergoing rehabilitation at the Lyndhurst Centre in Toronto to improve her mobility.

Kristen’s family has long been involved in the hockey community. Her father, Brian Cameron, served as president of Hockey PEI from 1993-95 and has coached several teams in the Charlottetown Minor Hockey Association. Her mother, Joanne, was an active volunteer with several minor hockey teams, while her two siblings, Craig and Jennifer, also played sports growing up.

Her uncle, Dave Cameron, will be behind the bench of Canada’s National Junior Team this year as it goes for gold at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, December 26 to January 5 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Kristen's family is touched by the outpouring of concern for Kristen. Hockey PEI is organizing several fundraising events, with proceeds going to the Kristen Cameron Trust Fund. Individual donations to the Kristen Cameron Trust Fund can be made at any TD Canada Trust Branch across Canada.

Information required:

Transit 56803

192 Queen Street, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Bruce Donaldson, Branch Manager

For more information on Hockey PEI events, contact Hockey PEI at (902) 368-4334, or visit www.hockeypei.com.

In 2004, Kristen enrolled at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, playing four seasons of collegiate hockey. She was a three-time All-NESCAC selection and a 2005-06 First Team All-American before graduating in 2008 with a degree in Education.

She moved behind the bench in 2008-09, joining the Castleton State College women’s team in Castleton, Vermont as an assistant coach, all the while pursuing her Master’s of Education, before taking a position as an assistant coach with NCAA Division I powerhouse Mercyhurst College in 2009, where she is currently working towards a Master’s of Science in Organizational Leadership.

Kristen is a focused young woman with a determined spirit. Her positive attitude, coupled with the support from family and friends, will help Kristen along her road to recovery.