A “HEARTfelt” hockey game takes place between the Pembina Valley Twisters and the local RCMP Horsemen this Friday night to raise funds for the Hutterian Emergency Aquatic Response Team (HEART), a local organization specializing in underwater search and recovery.
“What brings community together?” asked Cst. Gilles Gravelle about the organizing of this second annual event. “A hockey game. This is about thanking the community and the importance of supporting local.”
Gravelle also assured that the Horsemen, comprised of local RCMP officers, firefighters, and men from the Oak Bluff Colony, will be going full force.
“Most of the team is pushing 50. Last year we had to get the oxygen tanks out in the dressing room and were passing around the A535,” he said. “But we will give it our best again.”
Pat Schmitke, co-owner of the Twisters, believes in the cause.
“Our ownership group feels hockey is more than a game, but rather about our community. We like for the team to work and play locally. The HEART Team provides a service that is sadly necessary out of the goodness of their hearts, and it doesn’t come cheap.”
Started in 2016 by Manny and Paul Maendel, brothers from Oak Bluff Colony, HEART aids in the recovery of drowning victims.
Over the last 10 years, the team has attended over 70 call-outs across the country.
“There are continued unresolved drownings around the province and across Canada,” explained Manny Maendel, who works as the group’s search lead, remote operating vehicle (ROV) pilot, diver, and sonar technician. “Because HEART can’t be everywhere, in recent years we are focused on enabling and equipping other organizations and law enforcement to do underwater work and recovery themselves.”
Training is provided on-site at the colony east of Morris, and between the training facility and a large gravel pit, both classroom sessions and open water techniques are learned.
“We are able to do mock-up exercises with dummies that we sink and I teach teams how to look for them with sonar and underwater robotics,” Maendel said.
The HEART team provides ongoing support to communities.
“We’ll head back to Grand Rapids to help with recovery once temperatures clear up and the ice clears off,” shared Maendel. He also spoke recently at the Grand Chiefs Emergency Management conference in Winnipeg. “It is my dream to enable First Nations communities in underwater recovery so they don’t need to rely on outside entities. Any agency that reaches out for training or support, I try to share my knowledge and expertise as best I can.”
Donations are vitally important to HEART’s operations, with all funds going directly to training, equipment and maintenance, travel, and logistics involved in searches.
“We don’t charge for our services and it is difficult to get funding from the province,” noted Maendel, noting donations can be made online at hearteam.ca.
Maendel will be stepping out onto the ice on Friday to play with the Horsemen.
“I love hockey and need to get my fix twice a week. My friends in the RCMP and the firefighters in Morris show that [HEART] is a meaningful mission, even just locally. The support is incredible.”
In last year’s fundraising game, the Horsemen beat the Twisters 5-3.
“We had to push ourselves playing against the young Twisters players,” laughed Gravelle. “I’ve already started my combat breathing this year and we’re thankful for the young Mavericks goalies who are coming back to help us out.”
The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 13 at the Morris Multiplex.
