The cold weather in Winnipeg did not stop Steve McNeil, and he spent 19 hours and 26 minutes at the rink at the Forks to raise money to fight Alzheimer's.
This event was the last of his tour through Canada. He visited all Canadian cities in which there are NHL teams to raise money to fight the disease and draw public attention to this problem.
“I do it for my mother who battled Alzheimer’s for 20 years and to pick-up the awareness level of the disease right across the country,” said McNeil. “Each city that I skate in has a link set-up, which can be found on 1926skate.com, and people can raise money for the local Alzheimer’s Society,” he added. “All of those links are staying open until the Stanley Cup is raised. After that, we’ll announce which city raised the most money.”
In each city, a man spends the same time on the ice.
“I do it in honour of my mother who was born in 1926, which is why I do it for 19 hours and 26 minutes,” he explained.
After Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver, McNeil made his performance in Winnipeg on Wednesday. He noted that Winnipeg was one of the most supportive cities on his tour.
“When I started my skate Wednesday night, this place was packed. It’s fantastic here. Winnipeg, you have a jewel (The Forks). We need something like this in Toronto. [Skating] down on the river, it’s fantastic,” McNeil said.
Steve hopes his campaign will benefit across Canada. “If I can raise the awareness level and funds for the Alzheimer Society, it’s a win-win for everyone,” he said.
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