From rags to riches

Pogge helps a boy from St. Joseph Ballet try on some shoes for the 2009-2010 school year.


Justin Pogge was involved in his first charity as a Duck when he joined Steve Eminger, Sheldon Brookbank, and Sheldon's wife Lene in the annual "Back to School Shopping Spree" at Wal-Mart. The three Ducks helped kids from St. Joesph Ballet get excited for the school year. The kids are of low income families. The story below goes to show that this charity event probably meant a lot to Pogge. Since he's been in the same boat as these children.

(The link to the story is provided to give proper credit but the story has since been taken down, here is some of the story you see below which I pulled from the NHL Arena fan forum and those crazy Leafs fans)

The story of one of the newest acquired goaltenders who's prompted to be the No 3 goaltender has a heartwarming story about a mother who never gave up, no matter what. She did what was best for her son.


Justin's Story:

They almost went bankrupt, but Justin Pogge's mom wasn't about to let that stop her son from hearing the sound of skates cut through the ice. A single parent, trying to make ends meet, Annet Pogge managed somehow to let her son play. A good decision, considering he went on to lead Canada to a gold medal in the World Junior Championships and now plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies.

"I always loved hockey," he beams after speaking with a panel of other hockey types on Wednesday at the Barley Mill, including Edmonton Oilers coach Pat Quinn. "Growing up, before I was playing organized hockey I was playing street hockey and on the ponds. Getting a chance to play has been a huge part of my life and it kept me on the straight and narrow and introduced me to a lot of great people and a great lifestyle, so I will always be in debt to hockey."

It's the struggles that Pogge's mom went through and the ability to give back to Penticton, a community they both call home now, that drives him to an event like the Saturday's Hall of Fame Summer Classic at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

"I was in the same boat as some of those kids," said the goaltender, who will be playing for Team Quinn on Saturday. "I think my first year of hockey I was sponsored through the Calgary Flames. My mom couldn't afford it and I don't know how she put up the money to keep me going in hockey, but I appreciate it. Thanks to a lot of charities like this it allows kids who normally can't play to play. I think every kid should get that same chance I did."

Being offered free minor hockey registration from the Calgary Flames and a complete set of equipment through the Calgary Boys and Girls Club set Pogge on the path of growing a passion for the game. It is something that the Penticton Minor Hockey Association also hopes to accomplish with children who are struggling to get involved in organized hockey ...