Pubdate: Wed, 29 Sep 2004
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html
Author: Joe Warmington

NO QUITTING FOR CHUVALO

"I MISS them terribly." If ever a guy could find an excuse to pack it in,
it's George Chuvalo. But there is no quit in the George. Ask Muhammad Ali.
The "Greatest" fought the Canadian boxing legend twice and found the
experience like hitting a tree -- a tree that hits back kind of hard.

But none of that trauma was anything like losing three children to drugs and
then having your wife commit suicide because of the pain.

"There's not a moment goes by," George says of something that comes up that
makes him think of all or one of them. But just when he gets down, he gets
off the mat and remembers his mission. "It's the fight against drugs," he
says. And it's to send a message out there to those using them now to quit:
Embrace life and don't end up a terrible statistic like his heroin-addicted
sons.

I've got to thank Spider Jones, the "Lovable One" on CFRB, who I bumped into
at Casino Niagara with his lovely wife Jackie. It was Spider who reminded me
how hard George is still working on these issues and about his golf
tournament to raise funds for the cause.

Through all the fun of the film festival and hanging out at the World Cup of
Hockey and at Deerhurst and at Taboo, I missed George's Fight Against Drugs
golf tournament in Scarborough and wanted to rectify that today because, as
the Night Scrawler, I agree with George wholeheartedly about the problem of
drugs.

If there is ever an event I shouldn't have missed it was that one. I see
people out on the street every night dependent on that stuff -- all forms --
and believe a lot of the so-called homeless are that way because of the
stuff. In other words, you take away crack and heroin and I don't think you
have as many people panhandling and living in the street.

To me, this is the kind of thing city council should be talking about -- and
backing up the cops and social service workers who have to be on the front
lines. It's not the kind of war you can roll your eyes on.

George believes this battle can be won. Of course he does. Who else would be
able to stand in the ring and not go down against the best -- or even
survive after all the tragedy he's been through.

Others aren't so sure. But George says the fight for every life is
worthwhile and he won't quit. So how does he do it? How does he keep going?

"In a lot of ways my wife Joanne saved my life," he said. "She lost a child,
too, to SIDS."

After Lynne died, the two would get together for coffee and eventually fell
in love. And therein lies the point, he said, for those believing they can't
go on. Keep on believing and do the right things and your situation can be
turned around.

"Hope is a wonderful thing," he said.

- ---

That was a pretty heavy subject there but I really wanted to get something
in for George, who I admire greatly for all he does in the war on drugs.
Here's a little lighter item. I'm in Terminal 3 at Pearson last night when I
see this guy walking through security with a hockey stick -- all taped up
with bubble wrap and a sign that says "fragile."

What was it, Gordie Howe's stick or something? Close. "No, (ex-Leaf) Mike
Pelyk got it signed by all the Leaf legends and it's going down to be
raffled off in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia," says Bob McMurray.

Turns out the Royal Canadian Legion down there desperately needs a new roof
before winter and they are raising money to do it.

Well, easier said than done. This is Canada but getting a hockey stick on a
plane isn't quite the same as it used to be.

Worried it might be a "weapon," the retired Peel Region principal had a heck
of a time getting it on his flight. But lucky for him and the fundraising
committee, when Bob got to his Jetsgo flight the attendant was a woman named
Andree-Aude Lambert, from Montreal, who despite being a Habs fan understood
the importance of this stick getting to the east coast and got it on the
plane. Hats off to her.

And also, a little late, but congrats to Const. Kelly Mohammed, of the duty
desk at police headquarters, for completing his 35th year of service with
Toronto Police.

We sure have some good people in this country. 
- ---
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