Testimonials
Our family are London Knights billets. We are going into our 11th year of billeting.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I also believe it takes a village to support these young elite athletes.
They come to us with a foundation built from their family upbringing. The attend school with the guidance of their teachers. Billets provide a house hoping it feels like a second home. Coaches develop their hockey skills to help them follow a dream. Trainers treat the physical issues and injuries.
And even though all these aspects of their daily lives are provided for; they sometimes still need a little more.
When tragedy struck the London Knights last year, THIS was one of those times.
Our whole family was numb, and had so many questions, and not just about the loss of AK15🪽💚💛 We wondered how our player was going to be, how he would deal and process this, what did he need from us at home, what other supports would be available for him……?
And then we were introduced to Paulie over a group zoom call, and realized he was another piece of the puzzle, another part of the village that would help with the dealing and healing this team needed.
At the home games that I attended, I could see Paulie standing just off ice. A quiet, reassuring presence for the team. And also a reassurance for me, to know he was there if they needed him.
Our dinner time chatter would usually revolve around how practice went, or who was in or out of the lineup for the upcoming games. After the dust settled, our Knights player slowly opened up. He shared with us he and his teammates thought highly of Paulie, and quite liked him. I definitely got the impression he was very approachable and just met people where they were at.
I believe that Paulie’s love of hockey, and his own journey within the mental health (and recovery) community, make him a crucial support and asset to this team and the entire Knights family.
If something so tragic as AK15 🪽💚💛 death by suicide, can lead to something meaningful and impactful, how can we not want to foster that? The Knights are fortunate to have the support and resources of Paulie, every (OHL) team should have that. And with the pressures that these kids are under, every player deserves that.
Our billeting will come to an end when our current player finishes his OHL career, and it’s been quite a ride. I am grateful and proud to have been part of their journey…..I am grateful and proud to have been part of THEIR village.
KM⚔️💛💚