When Rod Crane received word that he made Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, he knew his life would change. He just wasn’t sure how.
The Clarksburg, Ont., native knew his hockey career was about to take off, but when he quit his job to focus full-time on training for the national team in 2018-19, he found an abundance of time in his calendar. After mulling over various ideas, his mother, Christine, mentioned the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie & District.
“I had been looking for a volunteer gig to help me pass the time and keep busy, and she was the one who first brought it up,” says Crane, who won a silver medal at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. “She thought it would be a good fit, so I looked into it and got matched with a great family.”
For more than a century, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been championing the health and well-being of youth, ensuring children are supported by caring adults — helping them physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and academically. This year alone, the organization has impacted over 41,000 youth in over 1,100 communities across Canada.
After going through the application process, Crane was matched with a fifth-grader named Sandro, and the two became fast friends.