Celebrities to play in Teen Ranch hockey gala
By ALAN LICZYK

A "hidden jewel" in Caledon will be the site for a celebrity hockey gala this Friday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.

The Teen Ranch Foundation is organizing its first major event to be held at the Teen Ranch Ice Corral on the west side of Highway 10 north of Caledon village.

Among the celebrities taking part are former National Hockey League players Ron Ellis, Mike Gartner, Rick Vaive, Laurie Boschman, Stu Grimson, Kris King, Mark Osborne, Ric Nattress and Wes Jarvis, as well as musical theatre star Michael Burgess, CTV/TSN sportscaster Rod Black, former world pairs skating champions Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini, and Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, a member of 1992 United States silver medallist team from the Women's World Championships. Burgess will also sing the national anthem.

The teams will be rounded out by amateurs who will live a dream of playing with some former NHL greats. The evening will also include draws and an auction of sports memorabilia.

Paul Henderson, star of Team Canada 1972 and a foundation board member, will be coaching one of the teams. He told the Citizen at age 64 he's a better coach than a player.

He's part of the fundraising committee that's looking for ways to raise money for Teen Ranch.

"We've got a hidden jewel there people don't know about," he said of the facility.

The Ice Corral can seat about 1,000 people and Henderson said it would be great if they could fill the place.

"It will be a fun evening," he said. "We'll put on a show."

Teen Ranch is a Christian sports camp that has been serving youth since 1968. Henderson's first exposure to Teen Ranch was back in 1973. He met Teen Ranch founder Mel Stevens who came to his house asking about doing a hockey school.

"I was impressed with the guy," Henderson said.

Henderson's three children and four of his seven grandchildren have gone to hockey school at Teen Ranch. They've also had functions there that involved the whole family.

Besides having an Olympic-sized ice surface, Henderson explained Teen Ranch also offers a Western and English horse riding program, basketball, tennis, swimming, hiking and fishing. They also hold a fund-raising golf tournament in the summer.

General admission tickets for the celebrity hockey game are $10 per person or $25 per family and can be bought at the door. The doors will be open at 6 p.m. Tickets are also available at Scotiabank Orangeville or by calling the Ice Corral at 519-941-4501.

A portion of the ticket sales will support The Door's fund-raising efforts, a local organization working to support young people.