Hurricanes up early to give helping hand at soup kitchen

LETHBRIDGE -- Hurricane players put down their gloves and sticks Monday morning and picked up donated Subway sandwiches, oatmeal and coffee to hand to the less fortunate at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen.

Eight players were there bright and early, 6:30am to be exact, and in the end, they served nearly 100 people.

"It’s my third (time at the Soup Kitchen), so anytime I do it, it’s obviously very rewarding and you look back on it and to share the experience," said Hurricane defenceman Koletrane Wilson.

"Everyone is having some tough times and we get to come in here and make it a little easier for them," said D-Jay Jerome.

The soup kitchen relies on volunteers to feed its guests.

"Anytime you can have people from the community, especially people who are more well-known I think it makes our guest feel like they are important and that we are not forgetting about them," said Bill Ginther, executive director of the soup kitchen.

The shift they were dealt may have been early, and the work might have been tough, but there was optimism to the experience.

"I’ll go back and hug my billets a little bit tighter, hug my family a little bit tighter when I see them next. Sucks seeing the less fortunate but to put a smile on their face is rewarding," Wilson said.

The Lethbridge Soup Kitchen is always looking for volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering is welcome to contact the soup kitchen through their Facebook page or call [phone].