The Ontario Provincial Police is organizing over 30 Hockey Challenge events across the province in partnership with local communities to raise awareness about youth homelessness.
The Hockey Challenge events began in December 2016 and will run through March 2017. Sportsnet will produce a feature that will air on Feb. 18, Hockey Day in Canada that highlights the Hockey Challenge and the OPP's involvement with The Push for Change.

The Grey County OPP hockey challenge event is scheduled to take place on February 16, 2017 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Meaford Community Centre, 151 Collingwood Street in the Municipality of Meaford between OPP officers and Georgian Bay Community students.

As part of its community safety partnership with The Push for Change, the OPP is mobilizing and engaging with youth and various stakeholders in more than 170 community-based events such as hockey games and community meals. These events raise awareness about the risk factors and vulnerabilities affecting homeless youth, while fostering positive connections between the OPP, youth, families, stakeholders and communities.

The Push for Change is a national awareness and youth empowerment campaign focused on ending youth homelessness. From May 1, 2016 to Sept. 30, 2017, Joe Roberts – a former street youth turned successful entrepreneur – is pushing a shopping cart 9,000 km across Canada to raise awareness of and end youth homelessness.

The OPP Push for Change Hockey Challenge helps create positive momentum and multiplies efforts to educate people about, and eliminate youth homelessness, one community at a time.

"The Push for Change is a perfect opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and partners to spread awareness about homeless youth and help mitigate the underlying risk factors that lead to the vulnerability of homelessness." – J.V.N. (Vince) HAWKES, OPP Commissioner

"Having the OPP as a community safety partner helps both our organizations engage Ontario communities with a shared message on what we need to do to prevent, reduce and end youth homelessness." – Joe ROBERTS, The Push for Change

"Each year Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada features positive initiatives across the country where hockey can help make a difference and The Push for Change is a great example of how the OPP and Joe Roberts are making an impact." ̶ Joel Darling, Executive Producer, NHL Special Events - Rogers Sportsnet Hockey

Information about The Push for Change campaign is available at www.thepushforchange.com.

Further information about the OPP Push for Change community safety partnership may be found at http://www.opp.ca.

source: media release, Grey County OPP