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Fundraiser hockey game on for cystic fibrosis

Forty women are attempting to make history at an ice rink in Burnaby with the longest hockey game ever played. The puck dropped on Friday, Aug. 26, and they are trying to break a Guinness World Record by playing for 10 days straight.

Forty women are attempting to make history at an ice rink in Burnaby with the longest hockey game ever played.

The puck dropped on Friday, Aug. 26, and they are trying to break a Guinness World Record by playing for 10 days straight.

Vallerie Skelly came up with the idea in hopes of raising funds and awareness about cystic fibrosis. The female players are from across Canada, and they want to beat the current record by 65 hours. That number is a reference to 65_REDROSES, a documentary starring New Westminster resident Eva Markvoort, who died of cystic fibrosis in March 2010.

Skelly wanted to organize the longest game to honour her friend Lucia and Markvoort, who both died of the disease in their 20s.

The game is at Burnaby's Canlan 8Rinks. The players will follow NHL rules and are allowed a 10-minute break for every hour played. They will sleep in RVs in the parking lot outside of the rinks.

The event is open to the public, and entry is by donation. The group is hoping to raise $400,000. The current record for the longest hockey game is 242 hours.

For more, go to www. longestgame4cf.com.

FUNDING FOR KIDS

The United Way has committed close to $600,000 on programs that help Burnaby children stay active and engaged after school.

"We want all children to be their best, but children aged six to 12 are experiencing increased isolation and disconnection," said Michael McKnight, president of the United Way of the Lower Mainland. "Without early help, these children area at risk during their teen years."

The money is slated for after-school programs in vulnerable neighbourhoods. Burnaby Family Life will get $120,000 for the African Children's Homework Club. Big Sisters gets $75,000 for its Burnaby region Study Buddy program.

Scouts Pacific Coast gets $180,000 for the Scouts About program, and the South Burnaby Neighbourhood is receiving $219,500 for two friendship clubs.

CITIZENSHIP PREP

MOSAIC is holding another session to help people prepare for their citizenship test. The free class is on Tuesday, Aug. 30 at the Metrotown branch of the Burnaby Public Library, from 2 to 5 p.m.

To register, call 6044365400 or go online at www. bpl.bc.ca/events.

PINBALL WIZARD

Burnaby NOW readers may remember the story we ran on local pinball savant Robert Gagno back in February.

Gagno has autism and an extraordinary capacity for pinball.

At the time of our last story, Gagno was number 1 in Canada and 19 in the world.

We got a note from his family that Gagno's standings are even higher after the latest World Pinball Championship held in Pittsburg.

According to the note, Gagno played well against many of the strongest pinball players from North America and Europe.

He placed seventh overall in the main tournament, which included more than 70 players, and did well in tournaments featuring older machines, and won one of those contests as well. He was ranked 11th in the world, but he's since dropped to 12th. To read the February story we ran on Gagno, go to my blog, Community Conversations, at www. burnabynow.com.

Send Here and Now items to jmoreau@burnabynow. com.