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World’s Longest Hockey Game brings hope to 19-year-old cancer survivor

Brendan O’Callaghan stops by the World's Longest Hockey Game Friday, Feb. 13, 2015. Kevin Karius, Global News

EDMONTON — The World’s Longest Hockey Game means a lot to Brendan O’Callaghan. In fact, it means everything. It means life.

“It gives us hope, for us as cancer patients. It gives us inspiration that people still care and people are still fighting for us.”

O’Callaghan was diagnosed with leukemia in 1998. Now, at 19, he’s cancer free and couldn’t be more thankful for those who support causes like the World’s Longest Hockey Game, in support of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

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Money raised at the 2005 edition of the World’s Longest Hockey Game went towards the purchase of a Microarray Analyzer, which helps kids like O’Callaghan in their battle.

“I survived it. Because of these proceeds, because of all these people that are doing this, other people are going to have a life too,” he said Friday.

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O’Callaghan is now enrolled in an arts program at SAIT in Calgary. He made a special trip up to Edmonton just to catch the game.

The World’s Longest Hockey Game reached the 10th day Friday, with nearly half a million dollars raised for the Alberta Cancer Foundation. As of 7:24 p.m., the score was 1,561 to 1,445 for the red team.

O’Callaghan was at the 2008 edition of the marathon game and can’t believe how much it’s grown over the years.

 

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