Sick children aided by Cassie Campbell charity hockey event When six-year-old Leeza Nielsen was diagnosed with leukemia last year, one of the toughest parts
was having to leave her rural home to receive treatment in Calgary. The daunting experience of moving for nine months was softened by the warm second home she found at Ronald McDonald House, adjacent to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Leeza’s mom, Sherri Nielsen, stayed at Ronald McDonald House with her daughter, who was five. “They become your family,” said Nielsen, who lives in the village of Hussar, 93 km east of Calgary. Yesterday, the Nielsens gave back to the charity by supporting their largest fundraiser of the year, the Cassie Campbell Street Hockey Festival. “I said right from the time I got there, ‘I’ve got to give back to these people at some time,’ ” said Nielsen. Canadian Olympic women’s hockey great Cassie Campbell and legendary NHL coach Pat Quinn also lent their support by participating in a celebrity game.
Campbell, who also volunteers at Ronald McDonald House, has been involved with the annual hockey festival for six years. The event included adult and youth hockey tournaments, a celebrity game and a silent auction.