Sports can bring out some of the biggest rivalries, but it can also remind us about the important things in life.
The Minden Times brings the story of one young Bruins fan who learned just how generous an athlete can be when she received a random act of kindness from Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene.
Trista Greer had been having a tough time at school with bullies. Even after pep talks from her parents and learning strategies on how to deal with the bullies, the 11-year-old Bruins fan still had her spirit crushed when she was at school.
After the school year ended, Trista’s father, Wayde, decided to do something to lift his daughter’s spirits. He was scheduled to attend an auction and golf tournament to benefit Minden, a town in Ontario that was affected by severe flooding earlier this year, and he learned that the tournament would have several pro hockey players in attendance. Greer also found out they would be auctioning off a Boston Bruins game jersey — Trista’s favorite hockey player was Zdeno Chara.
Greer solicited money from family for a “‘cool daddy’ fund,” which he would use to bid on the jersey. Greer raised $500, but when the bids started creeping over that amount, he realized he wouldn’t be able to get the jersey,
Enter: Matt Duchene. The Avalanche forward was one of the NHL hosts of the event and was sitting across from Greer.
“Get it for her,” Duchene said. “I’ve got you covered.”
Every time the price went up, Greer glanced at Duchene who nodded his head to keep bidding. Once the price rose to $1,600, Duchene held up two fingers toward Greer.
Greer grabbed the microphone and yelled “Two thousand!” and the jersey was his. He gave the Chara jersey to Trista for her birthday, along with a note that said, “Happy birthday Trista, from your friend Matt Duchene.”
Photo via Facebook/Matt Duchene
