Minnesota Special Hockey has arrived in Borderland

Penny Jimmy goes to a lot Falls High School sporting events and is excited to get to play, too.

Dylan McBride participated in the Special Olympics and has been excited for two weeks to get to play hockey.

Joe Boyle said his daughter Julie is a great sports fan and gets thrilled even putting on the equipment.

Minnesota Special Hockey has now spread to Borderland. The program has had a team in Blaine, Edina and Woodbury for four years, and now has started a summer camp in International Falls.

Special Hockey is for athletes with developmental disabilities. There is no limit on age and it’s for everyone who wants to get the experience of being on a team. This program gives the players a sense of participation and lets them play the sport that they’ve watched from behind the boards.

The camp was brought to the Falls with the help of Sherry Veillex. Veillex and her son, Remington, have traveled to the Twin Cities to play, and it was something they enjoyed as a family. Veillex realized the value of the experience for her son and his teammates and wanted to give the same opportunity to kids in northern Minnesota.

Veillex contacted Minnesota Special Hockey directors, and they helped her place ads in local newspapers, make fliers and generate funding. Veillex and staff from Community Education also put on an equipment drive.

The camp started Monday with six kids.

“I am happy with this turn out,” Veillex stated. “When the first team started in the Cities there were four kids from the whole metro area and now look what that has grown into.”

Veillex said that the help from the parents and also from her own dad, Rod, was nice, because it gave the players more one-on-one time.

In the mix of volunteers were some local Bantam players helping out, as well.

One of the parents said it’s nice to see these kids who have played for sometime come out and help those who haven’t had that opportunity.

“These players just light up when they have actual hockey players out there skating with them,” another parent added.

Veillex intends to keep the program going in the Falls and hopes to get a team together this season.

“We would start out with practices on Sundays and would like that to lead into games with the metro teams,” Veillex said.

She also said if things go well, there may be a tournament weekend.

“I know that there are other kids in this community that would get a good experience out of this, too,” Veillex said. “Even if they just want to come and watch for a day to get comfortable.”