Ken “Shaggy” Straw swept up the accolades for his 60th birthday.
The longtime New Westminster resident is known for his volunteer efforts around local rinks, particularly with the Salmonbellies’ lacrosse organization. Straw turned 60 on July 11.
“He will help out the equipment managers, he fills the water bottles. Part of the requirements of the home team is to supply water, ice and coolers to the visiting teams. He has to take that stuff over to the visiting team’s locker and picks it up after the game,” said Dan Richardson, president and general manager of the New Westminster Senior Salmonbellies. “Of course, his main role is floor wiper, which is kind of unique to Queen’s Park because of the wood floor. It’s sweaty and it gets very slippery, especially in Queen’s Park because it is very muggy in there.”
Straw, part of the game day maintenance crew at Queen’s Park Arena, has enjoyed many rounds of applause as he sweeps the floor and races back to the bench.
“It’s a thankless job. He is always there, always at the rink,” Richardson said. “He is a tireless volunteer. He does it for the juniors, he does it for the intermediates, he does it for any of the travelling teams that come into town. If there’s a tournament, he’ll be there.”
Local teams couldn’t let Straw’s 60th birthday pass without offering some recognition to the man who is well known to lacrosse fans and players.
At the New Westminster Junior Salmonbellies’ game on July 9, Straw was called onto the floor under the pretense the floor needed to be wiped – only to be surprised by a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to You. The next night, the crowd at the Senior Salmonbellies’ game sang Happy Birthday to Straw during a time-out. Both teams gave Straw a birthday cake in the dressing room following their games.
“It’s a labour of love for him,” Richardson said.
