Saturday the City of Surrey lost one of it’s landmarks when it comes to sport and now it’s time to begin the re-build for the store that has outfitted many an athlete.
This note was posted on Facebook and I wanted to share it with everyone as it is concise and hits the heart.
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Where do I start?
It’s been a very busy 36 hours since I arrived at The Hockey Shop to see smoke and flames shooting out the back of the building.
First off, I need to thank the Surrey Fire Department.
Without their efforts, the outcome could have been far worse.
I have always appreciated Fire Fighters and the situations they deal with on a daily basis.
Even if I were the best Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney, I still couldn’t imagine being the first on the scene to a bad car accident or going into a burning building when everyone else is running out. With that said, I’ve never appreciated them as much as I did yesterday.
Every time I watch the video in the comments, I am more and more thankful for the dedicated professionals that put their life on the line to save my business from being completely destroyed.
We will be back, better than ever and we owe you!
To my amazing staff.
Your support during the past two days has kept my morale strong. You are the face and the heartbeat of our store.
You are the reason that we are so well respected in our industry and in our City.
You are the reason that people come to our store from across the country and beyond. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
We wouldn’t be able to get through this without you.
To our loyal customers. We wouldn’t even exist without you.
You are the reason that we work so hard. You are the reason that we come to work each and every day. I want to assure you that we will be back, better than ever.
It’s still too early to know how long it will be before our store is open again but I promise you that we will be doing everything in our power to make sure that happens as quickly as possible.
At 8:00 am tomorrow morning I will be meeting with our Team Sales department to come up with a strategy to immediately begin servicing the Teams and Minor Hockey Associations that we rely on and that rely on us.
We won’t let you down.
To the alumni! I can’t believe how many of you still care so much about the shop. The amount of support that you have offered is amazing. I am truly honoured to have worked with you over the past 20 years.
To my friends and relatives. You have always been there for me and this weekend was no different. I just wish there was more that could be done at this time. I’m sure over the next month I will redeem all of those offers!
To my amazing wife. You are the reason that I do what I do.
Thank you for being you, and letting me be me. Thank you for sharing your husband with a Hockey Store.
When we first met, you thought I was joking when I told you I had already been married… to a Hockey store.
For all those who have offered to help, here is what you can do:
If you know a Fire Fighter, thank them. Thank them for me and everyone else that has ever needed their assistance.
If you know one of my staff, thank them. Thank them for helping make The Hockey Shop the best Hockey store in the world.
If you know any of my customers, thank them. Thank them for the loyal support that they have shown to my family business.
Sincerely,
Brad Whiddington
Manager
The Hockey Shop
