Trinity Western set to give back during missions trip to Northern B.C.

A number of players and coaches from the Trinity Western University will travel to Smithers, B.C. over the Christmas break to participate in a week-long service and missions trip from Dec. 27 to Jan. 1.

In conjunction with several community partners, including YWAM Ministries, the Smithers Evangelical Free Church and the Smithers Recreation, Parks and Culture Department, the team will connect with a variety of communities and First Nations groups in the Bulkley Valley through hockey-related initiatives.

“For our hockey program, we want to build leaders on and off the ice and this is part of the development for our guys off the ice,” said Spartans coach Barret Kropf. “There are lots of opportunities to serve in our own neighbourhood and our own province and we want to make sure we give back to our communities.”

The team will visit the communities of Smithers, Houston, Hazelton, Moricetown and Telkwa where the Spartans will run hockey clinics and participate in service opportunities. The players and coaches will also get a chance to partner with The Salvation Army on Dec. 31 to help serve food and aid in a local project.

In the evenings, the Spartans will use the World Junior Hockey Championship games as an opportunity to host people from the local communities to further connect them and build relationships.

“We want to make sure our guys understand that the bigger picture involves giving back to your community,” Kropf said. “So whether it’s in Eastern Europe like we did last year or up in Northern B.C., there are a lot of opportunities for us to use the platform that we have because we are a collegiate hockey program. It’s an important way for us to support local churches in the area and come alongside them and support what they’re already doing.”

The Spartans are coming off their best-ever fall semester as they are currently atop the BCIHL standings with a record of 9-2-0-2.