Hargreaves 'Every Shot Counts'
(FREDERICTON, NB) During her more than four years as a UNB RED, Payton Hargreaves has put hundreds of shots on net.
Now in her fifth season with the REDS’ women’s hockey team, Hargreaves has recorded 291 shots during Atlantic University Sport regular season play, including 63 so far this season.
If you factor in countless practices and exhibition and playoff games, that total grows exponentially.
Thousands would not be understating it.
But the shots she registers this season are among the most meaningful of her career.
That’s because each one counts in Hargreaves’ ‘Every Shot Counts’ initiative.
“I wanted to make as much of a difference in the community, as much as possible, and I get to see that make an impact right way,” she said.
Her ‘Every Shot Counts’ is a fund-raiser for Hockey Gives Blood, the effort born from the Humboldt Broncos tragedy of 2018. The non-profit society has partnered with Canadian Blood Services to engage and educate the community about the importance of blood and plasma donation and stem cell, organ, and tissue donation.
Hargreaves is seeking one-time donations or per-shot pledges to raise money for Hockey Gives Blood.
“Hockey Gives Blood reaches all across Canada and they’re impacting and saving lives all across Canada,” she said. “They’re partnered with Canadian Blood Services, so they’re making an impact everywhere. It’s not just donating blood or blood drives, it’s getting money to help fund research and getting donations to help outreach to different communities, and the stem cell registry, and organ and tissue donation, so they’re making an impact in every way possible.”
Hargreaves’ initiative is driven from person experience.
Family members have required blood products in the past, but Hargreaves acknowledges there are so many others who have dealt with and deal with more trying situations.
Raising money for Hockey Gives Blood is an addition to her regular blood donations and her work to encourage others to become donors.
“It's difficult to give blood. It does take a lot from your body,” she said. “But if you’re able to sit there for a few minutes and do it, then you get a lot more out of it than you would think.”
As captain of UNB’s women’s hockey team, Hargreaves is a leader on the ice and in the dressing room. She’s also become a leader, in many ways, off the ice. Several times each season she and others rally a dozen teammates or more to attend blood donor clinics.
“To have my teammates to come out and support me and Canadian Blood Servies, it makes such an impact on me,” she said. “When I got here, and in my first couple of years, it was a much smaller initiative and not many of us were able to donate blood. Through the years, it’s been growing and I’m so proud to see that it is becoming a bigger momentum within the community and within hockey.”
Her 63 shots on net so far this season has eclipsed last season’s total and puts Hargreaves within six shots of establishing a new career best.
Hargreaves and her teammates have six regular season games remaining, beginning with a home-and-home series against the St. Thomas Tommies this weekend.
UNB visits the Tommies, at Fredericton’s Grant-Harvey Centre, Friday night. Game time is 7:00pm.
On Saturday, the REDS host the Tommies. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm.
To support Hargreaves in her ‘Every Shot Counts’ effort, visit the Hockey Gives Blood website at: www.hockeygivesblood.ca/fundraiser/payton-hargreaves/
STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB REDS
FILE PHOTO BY: James West/for UNB REDS