EDMONTON- A man who is known and loved by thousands of Edmontonians turned 50-years-old Wednesday.
Joey Moss has been a local legend for most of his life. In 1984 when Wayne Gretzky was dating Joey’s older sister, Joey became the Oilers’ locker room attendant.
“Wayne ran it by the organization and the rest is history,” said Stephen Moss, Joey’s younger brother and guardian.
Joey brightens the lives of those around him with his infectious personality and takes great pride in his work.
“He gets there early and then if it’s a game day he gets a little break in the afternoon,” Stephen said. “So let’s say he gets there about 7:00 a.m. and gets home about midnight.”
Joey has also been the Edmonton Eskimos’ locker room attendant for nearly 30 years.
“He’s a part of the family here,” said the Eskimos General Manager Ed Hervey. “His presence inspires us. Joey means so much to the Edmonton community.”
Joey doesn’t let living with a developmental disability hold him back. He’s inspired the Joey Moss Cup, Joey’s Mural and Joey’s Home- a facility run by the Winnifred Stewart Association, which offers a combination of assisted and independent living for individuals with developmental disabilities.
“The heart he presents is second to none,” said Vicky Andress with the WSA. “He shows people that there is a role for our individuals to be contributing members of our society and there’s a lot we can learn from folks like Joe.”
Joey is known for many things in Edmonton, including the way he sings the Canadian national anthem with such pride. An excellent example is at the 56-second mark of the following video:
“I don’t think he does understand how much of an impact he’s made. But I think after his 50th birthday, with all the attention he’s getting, I think he’ll probably, a little bit, sense that he’s done a lot,” added Stephen.
Joey’s family, friends, WSA and members of the Oilers and Eskimos recently threw him a big birthday party. He was also honoured at the Eskimos home game on Saturday, September 14.
Happy Birthday messages also came pouring in for Joey on Twitter Wednesday.
With files from John Sexsmith, Global News.