EDITORIAL: Community spirit on display
It takes a community to raise a winner.
That could well be the new phrase for those supporting the Ladner U10 Storm girls soccer team in its bid to snag the $125,000 first place prize in BMO's Team of the Week contest which wrapped up online voting Monday night (Aug. 27).
The national contest pitted 15 youth soccer teams against each other for the money, which will be used for upgrading a local sports field. Plus, the winner, which will be named Sept. 5, gets $5,000 for their charity of choice.
Judging by the outpouring of help the Storm got over the two-week voting period, they can already count themselves winners.
With help from family, friends, and strangers, they managed to rise in the daily posted competition rankings from 13th spot all the way to a fading in and out first place when the info was removed about 12 hours before voting was suspended.
The attention the Ladner Storm drew to themselves and the chance to improve a local sports facility is what really counts here.
Yes, a cheque for $125,000 would be the crowning touch.
But anything that focuses the community's spirit to help promote physical fitness for youth is welcomed, especially during times of continued belt-tightening.
Hopefully, that kind of collective will can gather additional momentum since there is often the complaint there's not enough for youngsters to do in South Delta.
They are at loose ends with not enough choices to focus their free time.
In this instance, the community's collective push was impressive. As a group they spoke out by tapping their computer keyboards and tablets to help do a little something about changing things—albeit in the hope of improving one local sports field.
Maybe some more of that is needed to help establish bigger and better facilities so everyone can get in the game, whatever it may be.
The unfortunate thing is the next chance for that comes three years from now.
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