👀 This One's Different
Most weeks, this newsletter is a roundup of everything happening around Kingston.
Not this one. Over the next few days, two Kingston stories come together that I want you to hear, and consider showing up for.
The first is about Jackson Giddy, a 12-year-old brain tumour survivor the Kingston Grenadiers made their honorary captain. This weekend, they're giving him the chance to run a touchdown.
The second is about the Grenadiers themselves, and how a brain tumour tragedy led them to honour a beloved coach.
Both stories lead to the same place: a brain tumour walk, a memorial football game, and a chili cook-off, all between Thursday and Sunday.
Here are both stories, and the three easy ways to be part of it.
🦸 Jackson Did the Hard Part. Now Kingston Gets to Show Up.
Jackson Giddy is 12, funny, and stubborn in the best way. Tell him he can't do something and he'll set out to prove you wrong. He's also a brain tumour survivor, and the story of how he got from a frightening diagnosis just before his fifth birthday to running onto the field this weekend is one our whole community can rally behind.
He's not the only one in it. Our feature also introduces Dr. Kyla Tozer, this year's Walk Community Champion, and the late coach Dale Sands, whose name the weekend's memorial game carries. Three Kingston stories, one frightening diagnosis, and the local organizations that make sure no family has to face it alone.
On Sunday, June 21, Jackson runs the opening play and scores a touchdown in front of the home crowd. Here's how the day came together, and how you can be part of it.
Read the full feature: Jackson Did the Hard Part. Now Kingston Gets to Show Up.
🏈 Way More Than a Sports Team: Inside the Kingston Grenadiers
Watch a Grenadiers practice for a while and you start to notice the thing nobody puts on a roster. Yes, it's a youth football club, but football turns out to be almost the smallest thing happening here. The volunteers once added up their hours across a single season and landed somewhere around 19,000, the kind of number you'd expect from a small business, not a kids' team.
The people behind it count success in scholarships, second families, and players who leave steadier than they arrived. You'll meet Alexandra Reyes-Walsh, the president who does "not much I don't do," the local kids who made the pros and still come back to run drills with the youngest players, and the coach whose loss turned into something the whole city now gathers around every June.
That coach is Dale Sands, and the brain tumour that took him is the reason the Grenadiers tackle more than opponents. His son Ty coaches on the same sidelines today, and this weekend's memorial game is where the football story and Jackson's story become one.
Read the full feature: Way More Than a Sports Team: Inside the Kingston Grenadiers
📅 Three Ways to Show Up This Week
Everything below supports the same cause, and it all happens between Thursday and Sunday. Pick one, or come to all three.
🌶️ Grens Chili Cook-Off | Miklas-McCarney Field | Thursday June 18
Bring your appetite. A $10 tasting pass lets you sample and vote, a $5 bowl gets you a full serving, and hot dogs are on hand for the choosier eaters. Thursday, June 18, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. All proceeds support brain tumour research. Details
🧠 Kingston Brain Tumour Walk | Newlands Pavilion Gazebo | Sunday June 21
The fundraising heart of the weekend, gathering by the water next to the Gord Downie Pier. Registration opens at 10:00 a.m. and the walk runs from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., a 2.5 km route that's accessible and dog friendly on leash. Look for the amazing silent auction, including its autographed Tragically Hip guitar. Walkers and their families pick up free tickets and wristbands to the afternoon game right on the spot. Register or donate
🏈 Dale Sands Memorial Game | Richardson Stadium | Sunday June 21
Grenadiers games run all day starting at 11:00 a.m. Get there early for the 3:15 coin toss, when Jackson takes the field for his SuperKid touchdown, then stay for the Dale Sands Memorial Game (the U18s, now coached by Dale's son Ty) kicking off at 3:30. Details
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Email Les at [email protected]
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