The Sudbury Wolves and the NEO Kids Foundation have announced a renewed partnership.
Together they have relaunched Q’s Kids, an initiative to support children and families. It’s returning with the help of 2023 NHL draft prospect Quentin Musty.
Q’s Kids was founded in 2020 by former Wolves player Quinton Byfield, who is now with the Los Angeles Kings.
Fast-forward three years and Musty has taken the reigns, despite a few setbacks.
“It means a lot to get it going this year,” he told CTV News.
“It took a little bit … I was home with an injury, and that’s when we were trying to launch it, which kinda messed up the plans. But it’s good to get it out. It’s better late than never.”
Officials at NEO Kids said there are families eagerly awaiting their turn to check out a game.
Through the program, families of sick children will be welcomed as personal guests of Musty and the team.
“Sometimes it’s a little extra tough,” said Kristofer Cacciotti of NEO Kids.
“Something as simple as going to a hockey game can do wonders with respect to elevating some of that pressure, getting outside of your routine.”
With many similar programs cancelled or put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, Musty said he’s happy to have a chance to be involved with the community at large
“With COVID and everything our team did not have a lot stuff to do with the community and it was hard to get that going, getting sick kids here while a virus is going around,” he said.
“Our autoimmune kiddos are a little more comfortable with getting back out there and it is obvious by the feedback we’ve been getting that this is something that the kids and the families really want,” Cacciotti said.
The hope is to get the Q’s kids program back up and running after the summer break, once the Wolves’ playoff run ends.
