ESTEVAN - The Estevan Bruins honoured one of their longest-tenured volunteers prior to Saturday night’s game against the Notre Dame Hounds.
Gail Chilman has been involved with the Bruins’ organization since 1992, when she and her late husband Ed moved to Estevan. They began billeting players in 1995 and helped with selling 50/50 tickets on gamedays.
In 1999, Gail Chilman took over as the Bruins’ billet co-ordinator, helping to facilitate homes for the players, streamline communication between the team and the billet families, organize team events and more.
She has continued to be a familiar face around the rink during Bruins’ games, as she has also been heavily involved in ticketing for regular season and playoff games, working in the office, selling merchandise and being an integral volunteer during the 2022 Centennial Cup in Estevan.
Earlier this season, Chilman was given the honour of unveiling the Estevan Bruins’ 2021-22 SJHL champions banner.
The Bruins said this will be her final year with the club.
In a video, several members of the Estevan Bruins’ alumni and current members of the organization thanked her for her service.
This offseason, Chilman plans to move to Calgary to be closer to her grandchildren. Chilman will hand over the billet co-ordinator duties to Mandee Park, who has worked with Chilman on a transition over the past few seasons.
“The Estevan Bruins are sincerely grateful for the thousands of hours of time Gail has dedicated to the team over the past 30 years, and over 100 former Bruins’ players who billeted with Gail and Ed over the years continue to speak fondly of their time in Estevan thanks in large part to the welcoming home provided by the Chilmans,” the Bruins said in a news release.
