MONTREAL – Win or lose, Anna Persichilli is standing proudly behind her hockey team.
“A friend of mine told me that the Habs were boo’ed by their own fans,” she told Global News.
“When did we become so cynical?”
Persichilli, a special needs teacher at the Galileo Adult Centre in Montreal North, decided to made a short video to remind Canadiens fans why they love their team.
READ MORE: Montreal Canadiens shut down Therrien rumours, optimistic of games ahead
Standing in front of her class, Persichilli holds up a sign that says:
“We wanted to send the Habs a message of love…we stand behind our team win or lose. Let’s start a wave of love.”
Persichilli said she was inspired to start the online movement when she saw a video of 9-year-old Ezio Toppetta jumping for joy after getting a puck from right winger Dale Weise.
“The way he reacted to the puck, it was just so sweet and he was totally unaware that the guys are in a slump right now,” she told Global News.
Galileo Adult Centre integrates 77 special needs students – or SIS – into a regular curriculum with about 1,000 other students.
“These guys approach every problem with passion. They don’t say ‘I can’t do it,'” she told Global News.
“They don’t give up, even when they can’t get it, they do it again and always with a smile.”
“They don’t think ‘I’m such a loser,’ they got that enough in normal school. In our school, they feel like winners.”
WATCH: A special-needs teacher at the Galileo Adult Centre in Montreal North is hoping to send some positive vibes to the Montreal Canadiens. As Global’s Billy Shields reports, she’s starting a #HABSwaveoflove.
Persichilli said watching her students overcome all sorts of different obstacles has taught her to stay positive – a message she wants to share with Habs fans.
READ MORE: Montreal fan’s reaction during losing Canadiens effort goes viral
“We’re not good role models. We yell at the TV and call them losers, would you yell at your kid that way?” she told Global News.
“We have to change that and give positive energy.”
Principal Martina Schiavone said she hopes to get the entire English Montreal School Board (EMSB) to take part in the wave.
“In education, what we teach our students is if you have a bad day, you’ll still have support,” she told Global News.
“We’re hopeful the EMSB will get involved – that’s our goal, to start the biggest wave ever.”
Persichilli is asking people to post a video or photo on social media using the hashtags #HABSwaveoflove, #Habs and #NHL to show support for the team.
Oh – and, #GoHabsGo, of course.
WATCH the full video below:
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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