By Michael Bennett
Local Journalism Initiative
The Ridgetown Independent
Craig Spence made an impact on a lot of lives during his 22 years.
His legacy will continue to impact people for many years to come.
His family and many hockey friends are keeping his memory alive with the Craig Spence Foundation, which aims to assist financially needy youth in athletics and education.
Spence lost his life in a Highway 401 accident near London on April 16, a month after his junior career ended, as he spent his final two seasons with the Blenheim Blades.
The Blades honoured their captain by retiring his No. 10 on Nov. 16 in a pre-game ceremony.
Spence is the son of Ridgetown natives Tracey Secord (partner Shadd Smith) and Brendon Spence (partner Janee O’Donohue) and the grandson of Gerald and Heather Secord and Benny and Ruth Ann Spence, all of Ridgetown. He is also survived by siblings Grant and Ashlynn and his girlfriend, Halle Machado.
Grant Spence said there are two main objectives with the Foundation in his younger brother’s honour.
“One is keeping his name relevant; my biggest goal is making sure no one forgets him,” Grant said. “And second, giving every kid (in Chatham-Kent) the opportunity Craig and I both had as kids.”
“Our parents gave us the opportunity to basically do anything we wanted, especially when it came to sports,” he said.
After Craig’s death, family friend Chris McCarthy started a GoFundMe account to help with the funeral expenses. The fund began with a goal of $10,000. In less than four hours, more than $30,000 was raised. The final tally was close to $80,000.
“I talked to my parents, and we decided we wanted to do something instead of just us taking the money,” Grant said. “That’s how the Craig Spence Foundation started.”
The Foundation has already paid complete registration for two underprivileged kids to play with the Chatham-Kent’ AAA’ Cyclones.
“Both were on payment plans of $20 bi-weekly; we covered those registrations fully,” Grant said.
“With the increased costs for everything in hockey, we don’t want these kids giving up because of financial reasons,” father Brendon Spence said. “We want to be there to support them, whether it’s a stick or a set of shin pads. We don’t want players to miss out because the costs are so incredibly high.”
The Foundation is hosting free power skating sessions on Dec. 23 and 27 at Chatham Memorial Arena for local players of all skill levels. Girls and boys ages 6-7 are on the ice at 12:30 p.m.; ages 8-9 at 1 p.m.; ages 10-11 at 1:40 p.m. and ages 12-13 at 2:10 p.m. both days. Full equipment is required, and all participants will receive a No. 10 Spence jersey. Registration is open on the Foundation’s Instagram page.
Grant Spence also said the Foundation wants to extend support into education for struggling students by paying for tutors.
“We don’t want to focus all on sports; we want to get into the academics, too,” Grant said. “My brother had a learning disability, so we want to give back to other kids that have a learning disability, whether they need a little extra tutoring or they need a little something else on the side.”
Along with the GoFundMe, another $30,000 was raised for the Foundation at a memorial golf tournament at Deer Run this summer – an event that sold out within minutes.
The Blades wore specially designed jerseys to honour Spence in their Nov. 16 game.
The team also sold jerseys to fans, and close to 100 were sold, along with hats and shirts. All profits went to the Foundation.
“They’ve been just incredible,” Grant Spence said about the Blades’ support in honouring his brother. “The entire Blenheim Blades’ organization has been outstanding from day one; they’re always there.”
Spence said the family is especially grateful for the support head coach Shawn Simpson has given the family and the current team.
Simpson, also a Ridgetown native, brought in a counsellor to talk to the players leading up to the jersey retirement ceremony.
Fourteen current Blades who played with Spence stood on the blue line for the ceremony while other former teammates watched from the bench.
“It was emotional seeing the family and emotional knowing what the boys are going through,” Simpson said. “I didn’t know what to expect, but it turned out to be a special night.”
The Spence brothers, who grew up in Chatham but took power skating in Ridgetown at young ages, were supposed to be teammates on the Alvinston Killer Bees of the Super Ontario Hockey League this season.
Craig was also planning to be an assistant coach with the Blades and help with the Cyclones teams.
“He was a giver of his time; he was one of those kids who wasn’t going to sit on the couch,” Grant said. “He’d rather go out and do something, play golf or help coach a hockey team; he didn’t like sitting around.”
“The Foundation is not going to sit around; it’s going to go out and help as many kids in this community as possible,” Grant said.
