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the stouffville sun tuesday jan 21 2003 page 7 some vintage grapes whine was just fine you think don cherry was in stouffville sunday just to have a little fun help out a friend tell a few stories in the dressing room think again naive ones that was close to vintage grapes on the bench of the nhl oldtimerscelebrities team at the local rink not quite the classic model from the late 70s with the boston bruins he wanted to win sunday and depending upon who you talk to his team either lost or tied the stouffville spirit junior a squad just win baby with about five minutes to go in the game and the ice rental about to run out a game official that would be me decided to let the clock run without stops stop the clock former new york islander pat flatley yelled in my direction were coming back came another voice from their bench they were down only 75 now yah stop the clock said grapes picking up on theme and leaning in my direction in the penalty box for the love of bobby orr youd have thought id taken a twohander to no 4s knees or kidnapped blue the dog how do you argue with maybe the most famous person in canada the timekeepers resumed stopping the clock the expros tied the score everyone went home happy including grapes its hard to tell who the 1200plus who filled the rink were there to see grapes and his hockey night in canada buddy ron maclean or was it the host stouffvilles own keith acton diagnosed with cancer a year ago the assistant coach of the toronto maple leafs has recovered he wanted to ppt m jim mason off the top f 3 f srv put on a litde game for the canadian cancer society raise some money some awareness and a little community spirit at least i think thats how he put to me when he asked for a a little help with the event last fall as keith told the crowd sunday the game that would become a huge success almost didnt happen the spirit was willing but there roadblocks were hit in recruiting expros to take on the spirit the word cancelled came up ron maclean who has attended golf tournaments in stouffville hosted by keith and mayor wayne emmeson was asked don cherry was in the room at the acc that night too both said yes the only sticky point was getting back to toronto from the leafs- canadiens game the night before two games who can demand large coin on the public appearance circuit didnt ask for a dime organizers had a limo booked to picked the pair up at pearson sunday and deliver them to stouffville dont bother said grapes so impressed was keith that 5000 of the proceeds estimated at more than 20000 was donated to rose cherrys home well after don agreed to coach in stouffville there was grapes after the game standing just off the ice in a sea of autograph don cherry on the bench for the game of our lives at the stouffville arena sunday bill roberts photo seekers and their writing instruments just let me know when you want out of here stouffvilles mike humphreys doubling as grapes body guard said im fine said grapes laughing and signing hes right and he is fine vintage grapes jim mason is managing editor of the stouffville sun and was one of the organizersofthe game of our lives nothing could match the game of our lives over the years stouffville has witnessed many sports spectacles in every season at various sites including hockey softball soccer and golf winter spring summer and fall however for sheer enjoyment absolute skill and unparalleled results nothing could match the onice achievement of sunday the game of our lives featuring ex- nhlers and celebrities against the jr a stouffville spirit had fans ohing and awing cheering and applauding like at no other event this town may never see its equal picture if you will hockey personalities like don cherry ron maclean pat quinn ken dryden and joe bowen all gathered together for one game under one roof and one quickly realizes why this contest was to become the hottest ticket in town add to this hometown heroes like keith acton doug todd doug and mike feasby bill hassard and danny larmer together for one game on one team and you have a hockey homecoming made in heaven and more -r- competition provided by a spirited squad of fastskating jr a piick- jugglers eager to prove their prowess and one has a ringside seat to an event like nothing staged here before and all for a good cause the canadian cancer society more than 1200 people described by referee ron hoggarth as the finest fans in canada jampacked the stouffville arena filling every nook and cranny of the place even these werent your ordinary stouffville spectators they came to cheer they came to laugh they came to give to one of the truly great charities in this land more than 19000 was raised it was a scene of contrasts from pindrop fjiasltv jim 1 thomas 1 f l roaming around silence during jennifer thunems beautiful rendition of our national anthem to a standing ovation for organizer keith acton stouffvilles own from reverential quiet while the aforementioned told of being stricken with cancer to tumultuous applause for coachs comer duo cherry and maclean yes there was a hockey game and for the record the spirit won 98 but the scoreboard tale was secondary what mattered most was the end result in money raised what matters most is a hoped for end to the worst scourge our countrys ever known keith told it like it is how one year ago hed been diagnosed with cancer he vividly recalled receiving a phone message from roger neilson his former coach at peterborough welcome to the team neilson said but that wasnt the team for which id signed keith stated then he added god made mat decision for me its been the best darn team on which ive ever played a team comprising the most caring the most dedicated the most loving players one could ever know a teani where everyones a winner every fan weighed on every word this is hockey said don cherry this is spirit because of people like you this is the best country in the world on a lighter side cherry made this not- sosubtle observation about joe bowen as a goaltender youre a great announcer referee ron hoggarth carried a portable mike instead of a whistle and used it at every opportunity mostly in the face of netminder bowen hoggarth was assisted by exstouffvillite sean mcquigge at the games conclusion cherry maclean and acton were besieged by autographseekers many of them young players whod come to see their heroes each generously complied acton admitted later he was lost for words in describing stouffvilles endorsement of his fundraising project this is the generous side of humanity he said acton praised the organizational efforts of stouffville sun and tribune editor jim mason a director with the spirit team with all he did i dont know how he found time for his regular job he said the funds he explained would be used to arm and equip experts to provide new technical cancer treatment and care these words were echoed by katherine craine manager of the markham whitchurchstouffville unit of the cancer society its due to caring individuals like yourselves that the canadian cancer society is the no 1 contributor of funds for research you should be proud of your communitys caring spirit indeed we are proud of our community and its caring spirit our star and our hockey stars past and present never shone more brightly than sunday afternoon jim thomas is a stouffville resident who has written for area newspapers for more than 50 years stouffville says by sarah fasullo what are your thoughts on a possible war with iraq tom kennedy although i dont want to see a war there is a strong possibility it will come to that there may be a major loss of life president bush is doing a great job and we should help the us elizabeth tsoukalis there is the possibility of a war and it seems that we are not taking enough interest in it it does not seem to have enough importance for us the consequences will be too great if we dont take the proper precautions katelyn smith it seems like nothing has changed here for us but i am worried because there is the threat of war if things progress there could be world war iii kathryn webber its sad in this day and age that we still resort to war in conflict and we cant think of a better solution tina roberge you never want to see people to to war but if it is going to make the world a better place then you have to do what you have to do