FOUR-TIME FEMALE HOCKEY OLYMPIAN AND THREE-TIME GOLD-MEDALIST REBECCA JOHNSTON TO APPEAR IN BEND!
Bend Rapids Youth Hockey Club will host “Girls Have the Edge” April 2

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
BEND, ORE., March 15, 2022—The Bend Rapids Youth Hockey Club announced today that Canadian all-star female hockey player Rebecca Johnston will headline at a hockey event for girls in Bend called Girls Have The Edge from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2 at The Pavilion.
 
The Bend Rapids' goal with the Girls Have The Edge campaign is to recruit more young females to the sport by giving them a chance to meet Johnston—who has been a member of the Canada National Women’s Team since 2007—and to try out hockey for free in a supportive and nurturing environment. 
 
“We could not be more ecstatic to offer girls locally and across Oregon this incredible opportunity to connect directly with one of the top female athletes ever to play the great sport of hockey,” said Aaron Olson, chair of the Bend Rapids Steering Committee. “We hope every girl within 150 miles who’s ever thought of playing will come out to this exciting event.”
 
Johnston will kick off April 2 event with an inspiring speech about the joy of the sport and the opportunity for females to play for fun or at highly competitive levels such as she has at the IIHF Women’s World Championship, the Four Nations Cup, the Olympics and at Cornell University. 
 
After her speech, Johnston along with Bend Rapids coaches and adult female players from the Deschutes Womens Hockey Club will assist girls to try on full suits of hockey gear and take to the rink. On the ice, girls will be paired with an adult mentor and will practice skating, shooting and defending. The event will close with a friendly scrimmage between teams made up of youth and adults. 
 
“From all of us women playing at the top international levels of the sport we say to girls everywhere, “You can do this!,” said Johnston. “The number of girls and women playing hockey is growing every day and this Girls Have The Edge event is the perfect chance for girls all across Oregon to get onto the ice and make this sport your own.”
 
The Girls Have the Edge project, which is partially funded by the Oregon State Hockey Association and a USA Hockey Pacific District Hockey Growth & Development Grant, is geared toward girls of all ages and will be followed up by additional events for girls throughout the coming year.

Go to bendrapidsyouthhockey.org to register for this free event today!   

For more information contact:
Erin Foote Morgan
541-420-8603
hello@fmcivic.com