Kangaroo Reunion 2006

[Bill Miller]

Seats right behind the Toronto bench... everyone is happy Toronto won!

I can't say enough good things about the Hospitality people at Air Canada Centre and the Maple Leafs staff. The put on a really nice event and treated our vets with the utmost respect and kindness. A really top-knotch evening for everyone concerned. Not only did the veterans get to hob-knob with the Hockey Hall-of famers before the game at a superb buffet, but the CEO's wife took Art Bell around to personally meet all the HoF players and get their autographs...

By the way, that night would not have happened without the idea, energy and tenacity of Art Bell (who is ahuge leafs Fan). Art phoned me in Calgary back in August and said he was going to call the Leafs and ask if the Kangaroos could come out and represent the WW2 vets... he just wanted to know if I thought that was a reasonable idea?

I was very skeptical that the Leafs would be receptive to the idea.... and I have to admit I only gave Art little more than lip service as I thought that such an event was not really open to public input or debate. I wished Art luck and thought that that would be the end of it. No one was more surprised than me when he called the next day and said he talked to their game director and was putting something together!!!

The rest is history. Huge kudos to Art for this achievement. I have since learned of his ongoing, yet quiet dedication to public service over his lifetime. At 88 years young, he is still a remarkable and unstoppable man.