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Click on the photo for our on-line photo album. Click on the link at the end of this blog-post for our video.“Could Walter be billeted? He’s a modest man, and enjoys home cooking.”
I was chatting with Kim Kohler, Walter Gretzky’s daughter, making plans for his two-day visit to Halifax on behalf of The Salvation Army.
“Absolutely. I’m a hockey dad myself and a life-long Edmonton Oilers fan. We’d be thrilled and I’m sure we’d have lots to talk about.” Actually, my twelve year old son Andrew would have little appreciation of the Gretzky legend, arriving a generation after most of the headlines. I, on the other hand, was beside myself.
Walter Gretzky was coming to help us raise money and get the word out about The Army’s work during the IIHF world hockey festivities in Halifax. It was a huge opportunity. But I had no idea of what to expect living under the same roof and getting to know the man on a personal level over two days.
Fair to say Walter didn’t know what he was getting himself into either – who he would see or what to expect on his visits to Salvation Army facilities in Halifax.
For me personally, those two days will now remain an unforgettable and enriching experience. I’ve never witnessed such a display of mutual affection between the public and a public figure, close-up.
“Have you got brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles?” Walter was asking the first kid in a long line of people waiting for an autograph. He signed for everybody. He was intensely interested in everyone. It became obvious that I would need to plan an extra 20 minutes for his every move. Every human interaction was a display of affection and simple kindnesses. It was a joy to watch.
The true measure of the human being, I thought, came at The Booth Centre. That’s where The Salvation Army fights to reclaim lives lost in limbo due to addictions and helps people who just can’t cope and need a hand-up.
Walter was completely in his element. His gentle and caring nature mirrored that of The Army’s. The residents and their challenges seemed to reflect those of people known to him in his personal life. Completely at-ease, he had big smiles, hugs and autographs to go around for everyone.
Perhaps Walter’s greatest enthusiasm came when I took his picture with one of the new graduates of the 12-step addictions program. “Wow! This is fantastic! Way to go!” he exclaimed in typical exuberance, leaving us all to think the achievement was akin to a game-seven winning goal in the Stanley Cup finals.
And yet, to those who were only aware of his reputation as “Canada’s hockey dad”, it would be easy to assume that hockey would still be a preoccupation. Quite the opposite.
“There’s a lot of other stuff to talk about, other than hockey,” Walter told me. “Wayne who??”, he would kid.
In fact, after researching his biography on the web, I could see that there was so much I was unaware of. His near fatal aneurism in 1991 and having to be re-taught the basics of life at the most fundamental level. “I didn’t know what a door or shoes were for.”
Perhaps it’s his solid family foundation and a faith in human nature and kindness that not only sustains him, but propels him on his merry way. “Do unto others as they would to you,” I heard him say often. “Everybody needs to belong, to be cared for.”
Google “Walter Gretzky” in the news, and you’ll find a seemingly endless list of community appearances. I got exhausted just thinking of the effort to keep that type of schedule. Never mind the fact that the man is about to turn 70 and short-term memory can present extraordinary challenges with unfamiliar places and faces.
I sensed that the last 17 years of tragedies and triumphs have led to the person who touched us in Halifax. The night before our fund-raiser luncheon, he previewed his speech for my wife Brenda, my son Andrew and I. We looked at each other and knew our event was going to be very special.
In the end, it was a lesson in humility, humanity and hope that proved to be such a comforting fit for not only The Salvation Army, but for my family too.
As I was getting Walter out the door from our home the last time, Andrew got choked-up and didn’t want to see him go. As he explained to me later, “dad, it’s not who he is; it’s how he is.”
See the video:
-Ron
Ron Zima ADpPR
Fund Development & Public Relations
Salvation Army, Maritimes Division
ron_zima@can.salvationarmy.org
For more details on the Salvation Army, visit:
Salvation Army, Maritimes Division
