Lakers set to put Domestic Violence in the penalty box

Members of the Nipissing Lakers hockey team hold up purple water bottles at Memorial Gardens Monday, signaling their support in putting an end to domestic violence.

Hearing startling statistics like city police in 2010 investigated 1,059 calls, which equates to one call every eight hours, for domestic violence and that at least 350 women are helped by shelters in the region each year was enough to push the Nipissing Lakers hockey team into action.

Coming out in support of the efforts of the Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committee (DV3C) of Nipissing, the Lakers team announced Monday that their game against UQTR Friday December 2nd will be Domestic Violence Awareness Night.

North Bay Mayor Al McDonald says for far too long people have stayed quiet about the issue not wanting to get involved for one reason or another, but that can't be the accepted practise any longer.

"The fact that these young gentlemen are willing to stand up and take a stand against domestic violence I think is a very powerful message."

“It is definitely a big factor for us and something that we really care about,” says defenseman Jon Mitchel.

“We realise that a number like one call every eight hours of domestic violence is something that is totally not acceptable to anyone and especially the Nipissing Lakers Hockey team. It is something we would like to eliminate totally from today’s society.”

Players will be donning DV3C stickers on their helmets for the game and are asking the public, just for this one night, to ditch their blue and white team colours in favour of purple to show their support in putting an end to domestic violence.



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The DV3C is an amalgamation of organizations that came together in 1999 for the purpose of coordinating effective community based responses to domestic violence. It is comprised of service providers representing organizations
dedicated to helping those affected by domestic violence and to raising public awareness about the issue.