What better way to draw attention to the plight of homeless people than to call a street hockey game?

Organizers of Whalley's Toque Tuesday event this week used a national pastime to create more awareness about the national shame of homelessness, especially during these cold winter months.

Surrey firefighters, Mounties, politicians and members of the B.C. Lions and Surrey Eagles invited some homeless people from Whalley's Front Room Drop-in Centre to a game of hockey and hotdog barbecue outside the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre Tuesday afternoon.

"These homeless guys don't get a lot of breaks," said organizer Tim Baillie, a retired Surrey firefighter. "We wanted to invite these guys to have some fun and get a decent lunch."

Some chowed down on hot dogs while watching the game.

"It's really good," said one homeless man, Kelly, of the event.

Surrey-Whalley NDP MLA Bruce Ralston and Surrey-Fleetwood NDP MLA Jagrup Brar - who spent the last month living on $610 to get a taste of what it's like to live down and out - were among those playing hockey. Brar said he's looking forward to sharing his "powerful, disturbing experience" with his party caucus and the legislative assembly when B.C.'s MLAs return to Victoria on Valentine's Day.

Ralston called it an important event.

"Part of what's necessary to find a solution to homelessness is to build public awareness," he said. "I thought this was an important event in building that kind of public awareness that enables people to move forward and find solutions."

This was the first such event in Surrey.

"I got to warn you right now, next year we're going to ramp 'er up a lot more. Next year we're going to be a lot bigger."

tzytaruk@thenownewspaper.com

twitter@tomzytaruk