This Saturday, June 13th Maple Ridge Planet Ice
will play host to the 2nd annual Crohn’s and Colitis Charity
Classic. This is a hockey game brought together by Maple Ridge locals, Ben
Payne and Victor Bartley. The doors open at 7 and ceremonial puck drop at 7:45.
There are no tickets for sale, but entry will be by donation with all proceeds
going to Crohn’s and Colitis research and education.
Those of you familiar with Bartley will know that he is a
defenceman for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. Bartley
and Payne grew up together through the Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association
and have been best friends ever since. Ben even visited Victor in Nashville
when they played host to the Chicago Blackhawks in round one of the NHL
Playoffs this year. The two have taken very different paths to their respective
hockey careers, but one faced much more adversity.
Ben Payne was diagnosed with fistulizing Crohn’s disease in
August 2013. The timing is never good for a scenario like this to occur, but
for Ben it was especially bad considering he was just a very short time away
from leaving the country to play professional hockey in France. Ben had been
feeling a pain inside of his stomach for a few months but thought nothing of it
until one doctor pointed out that indeed it was Crohn’s that was affecting him;
but that wasn’t going to stop him from pursuing his hockey career abroad.
As any determined athlete would, Ben
went on the journey to play hockey in France with Neuilly-sur-Marne
in the FFHG Division 1 league. He was never able to reach his full potential on
ice though with the ever-lasting pain he was facing. He couldn’t even make it
through the season before having to be released from his team to come back home
and get healthy again, whatever that may take.
After returning home Ben
received surgery. He had to have approximately one foot of his small intestine
removed. When diagnosed with fistulizing Crohn’s there is essentially blockages
in your system. Food will get caught in crevices of the inside of the body and
therefore unable to makes its way out of the body. As soon as Ben got out of
surgery, he just wanted to get better and on came the road to recovery.
In talking with Ben he revealed
that he’s feeling “better than he’s ever felt”. Just under two years after the
original diagnosis he is back on track in life. Sure he has to take medication
to keep away the return of the disease, but he is happy with how doctors were
able to help him get back to 100%.
Ben has returned home for a
little while, as he’s actually made a return to Europe. This past season he
lead his team in scoring with EHC Zweibrücken Hornets, a Division Four
team, not in France, but this time in Germany.
Not only does he have the
opportunity to play in Germany, but he also gets to indulge in German culture.
Learning the language, interacting with others, and taking in the surroundings.
Luckily in Germany, there is a larger portion of people who speak English in
comparison to anywhere in France. He is also getting the opportunity to coach while
in Germany, which brought a giant smile to Ben’s face.
His story is one that can
provide hope for those facing hardships such as his. His case was one of a
quick, yet devastating, threat that could be treated right away, but he showed
sincere care for those who have to face it every day of their lives. The way
Crohn’s works is, the less severe the case, the less doctors are able to treat
it.
This is the major reason why
Ben and Victor have come together to try and raise money for research and
education of Crohn’s and Colitis. The first annual event held last year brought
in close to 300 fans and raised $5,000. With only a few weeks to prepare last
year, Ben and Victor were elated with the amount of money they were able to
raise, but with more time, organization, and experience this year, the boys
hope to surpass that number in donations.
Not only does this event include
a hockey game, but a star studded one. It will of course include Victor Bartley
of the Nashville Predators, but also Brad Hunt, Maple Ridge native who is part of
the Edmonton Oilers system, as well as Mitch Bartley who played four seasons
with the Vancouver Giants. Every player on both sides has some sort of junior
playing career and most have a local lineage. The Assistant coach of the Junior
B Ridge Meadows Flames, Nick Bruns, will be suiting up, as well as Flames
player Boston Colley, along with his younger brother Parker. And if you’ve followed
the Flames as of late you won’t forget this name as Joe Olson who played the
better half of the last two seasons in Ridge Meadows with the Flames will
return to familiar territory to play for the good cause.
With a handful of Ridge Meadows
Minor Hockey Alumni participating in the event, Ben described it as “more than
just a game, but also more like a big family reunion.”
After the game there will be a social
event with food, drinks, and time to mingle, but also a silent auction which
will include signed NHL jerseys and a raffle.
Ben Payne isn’t simply doing
this for his own benefit, but he is doing it because he genuinely cares for those
who are being affected on a day to day basis. On numerous occasions in my
conversation with Ben he brought up how his main goal is to raise funds for those
in need, struggling more than he ever had to.
Expect to have a great time at
this second annual charity event, but Ben made sure to mention that even though
it is for charity, also expect this game to be extremely competitive.
For full rosters, how to donate
if you can’t make it, and any further information, follow this link: http://www.kintera.org/site/c.4nJIJXPrEbKSE/b.9263239/k.6E3B/2015_Golf_and_Hockey_Classic.htm
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