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March 23, 2010
RBC.006
How does one go from playing on a backyard rink to scoring Olympic gold medal-winning goals?
According to three-time Olympic gold medalist Jayna Hefford, much of her success stems from the dedicated
hockey volunteers who helped her along the way.
“One of my coaches growing up in Kingston was a woman named Beth Duff, and she donated hundreds of hours
of her time to coaching us,” said Hefford. “She also taught us about character and commitment. One year my
team travelled around to play 80 games – the same as an NHL season. She organized all of this which was a big
part of my success.”
Hefford will be nominating Duff in this year’s RBC Insurance Local Hockey Leaders program, which has
recognized behind-the-scenes hockey volunteers for more than eight years. Nominations can be made at
rbclocalhockeyleaders.com until April 9.
“I am also going to nominate my parents,” added Hefford. “I spent a lot of time on the backyard rink that
my Dad built for us, and really both of my parents contributed so much to the fundraising and volunteering in
just about any way that they were needed.”
Hefford’s mother Sandra was in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympics to watch her daughter capture her third
Olympic gold medal. Her father, Larry, passed away in 2007.
Hefford is now encouraging her fellow Canadians to recognize their own local hockey volunteers and reward
them with $10,000 for hockey in their community and a place of honour in the Hockey Hall of Fame in
Toronto.
“I think we learned in Vancouver that hockey really is a thread that unites the country, and this simply
wouldn’t happen without the hard work of local volunteers,” said Hefford.
Fourteen RBC Local Hockey Leaders winners will be selected this spring (one from each regional Hockey
Canada branch and one employee winner).
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