In a town where hockey means so much, there will always be a hockey game that will hold a special place in the history of Chestermere. When the men of the 2012 Worlds Longest Hockey Game took to the ice, the pain, sweat and tears were all for the love of one little girl. On December 8th, sweet Diamond Marshall, passed away peacefully, after a long battle with a very aggressive cancer.
This beautiful little girl was born in June 2005 and was diagnosed with cancer at the tender age of 5. Diamond had survived cancer three times, but in early November of this year, it was discovered that she had osteosarcoma and that she was in the final stages of her journey on this earth.
Although this adorable little girl was only on this earth for nine short years, she made quite the impact while she was here. She became the driving force behind 2012 Worlds Longest Hockey Game where for 243 hours in May of 2012, players took to the ice to raise money that would go towards life saving measures, programs and equipment for the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) and Unit 1 (Cancer/Hematology Unit 1) for cancer research and equipment to Diamond and other children that are in the fight of their lives against this horrible disease.
Alex Halat, Chestermere resident and organizer behind the Hockey Marathon for the Kids, said “the idea of the hockey marathon came about as I was visiting Diamond and her dad (Lyall Marshall) during a time when my brother was battling cancer. Watching that little girl suffering and going through things that adults deal with was heartbreaking. So, as I was sitting there with her dad, the hockey marathon was built. It was remarkable how one little girl could bring a community together like she did to raise money for the Alberta Children’s Hospital. She really was everybody’s child”.
On December 12th, those same men that played that hockey game two years ago, surrounded by a congregation of others that loved sweet Diamond, sat shoulder to shoulder, wearing the jerseys they wore for those 11 gruelling days, and reflected on the beautiful life that this precious little girl had led.
The Marshall family has started the ‘Diamond Shine Fund’ which will be geared towards awareness of childhood cancers. The Marshall family has already donated $100,000 into the fund, but their goal is to raise $10 million dollars. You can donate to the fund by visiting HERE or HERE
“If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I’ll stay there forever”. – Winnie the Pooh
