Eleven-year-old Jimal Thomas is the envy of many a man, woman and child.
This week Jimal and his elementary school principal, Calvin Dubray, are boarding a plane to go spend some time with Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price after the Marie Sharpe student won a Shooting for the Stars contest through the Breakfast Club of Canada and the Air Canada Foundation with a poem he wrote about hockey.
“It’s a pretty cool poem,” said Dubray, who will be flying out of Williams Lake with the Grade 6 student Wednesday for the five-day trip.
“I’m excited for Jimal.”
Jimal said it will be the first time he’s ever flown in a plane, but he’s most looking forward to meeting Price.
“I’m excited,” he said with a shy grin the day before flying out.
While in Montreal, Jimal will meet Price, visit the head office of the Breakfast Club of Canada, check out the Habs training centre and take in the Hockey Day in Canada game between Edmonton and Montreal.
“Carey is a great role model for kids,” said Dubray of why it is so special for students to meet the hockey star, who grew up in Anahim Lake and played hockey in Williams Lake and Quesnel.
“Carey is very quiet and humble and I see that Jimal is a lot like him.”
Another 11-year-old student from Anahim Lake is also going on the trip, as well as a student from Quesnel.
All three students are from schools which benefit from the breakfast club program.
Price is the national ambassador for the Breakfast Club of Canada’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) communities.
