Hayley Wickenheiser returned home to a hero’s welcome on Friday as hundreds of local residents turned out to cheer on the three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Billed as Hayley’s Golden Hat Trick - to commemorate her third and most recent Olympic triumph - the day-long celebration was described as a huge success by local organizers and a humbling experience by the guest of honour.
“It was a special day,” said Laurie Cowan, who chaired the local organizing committee. “It was great to see the community really come out and honour Hayley.”
For her part, Hayley admitted she was overwhelmed by the response of area residents and grateful for the support she has received from the community - not just from Friday’s celebration, but throughout her career including her early years in Shaunavon.
“I was fortunate to grow up in a place like Shaunavon and Southwest Saskatchewan,” said Hayley “I’ve lived in Calgary for almost 20 years now, but my home and my heart are still right here in Shaunavon. The community is a big part of who I am today.”
It was a busy day for the four-time Olympic medalist and multiple world champion.
During a whirl-wind tour of the community, Hayley visited old friends and neighbours, stopped in at several local businesses including Shaunavon GM, Phoenix Rising, Min*Sota and the Willow Fitness Centre, toured the Shaunavon Hospital and Care Centre, and got a first-hand look at the progress being made at the Wickenheiser Centre.
Her itinerary also included a visit to the Public School - the site of her first half dozen years of education - where she spoke to a gym full of elementary and high school students from Eastend and Shaunavon.
After getting a resounding cheer when she was introduced, Hayley delighted the kids with some personal stories about her own youth and recounted fond memories of going to school in Shaunavon and growing up in the community.
She encouraged kids to pursue their dreams, and told them how lucky they were to grow up in a small town community.
“You have so many opportunities and freedoms here that you don’t get in bigger cities,” said Hayley.
Joining Hayley at the presentation at the Public School was Danielle (Mitchell) Greenberg. The friends were born and raised in neighbouring houses and remain life-long buddies.  Danielle, who travelled to Vancouver for the Games, told the youngsters about how thrilling the Olympic experience was from a spectator’s point of view.

Hayley’s son Noah, who earned cheers that rivaled his mother, also joined in the school presentation and provided the crowd with some great laughs during an informal question and answer session.  Among other things, for instance, students learned that Noah isn’t much of a hockey fan and actually took a book to the gold medal game in Vancouver in case he got bored.  
For her part, Hayley provided the students with some wonderful special insights into her own Olympic experience, such as the somber mood of the Olympic village when a Georgian bobsledder was killed just before the Games were set to begin, the anxiety she felt about delivering the Athlete’s Oath in front of a world-wide audience of three billion people, and the heated ping pong battles between members of the Canadian men’s and women’s hockey team.
She also told the assembled students - to a loud cheer - that she was not quite ready to retire as a hockey player and hoped to participate in the 2014 Olympic Games in Russia.
Her appearance at the school also included a motivational Team Canada video - that was also played during the public community event - and an autograph and photo-taking session that didn’t end until every request had been met.
Hayley brought the same graciousness and friendly demeanor to a wonderful evening celebration that more closely resembled a family gathering than formal event.
Hayley mingled comfortably with old friends and new acquaintances - signing autographs and posed for pictures for a sea of people - during a night that featured many highlights and unforgettable moments.
She was escorted into the curling rink by an RCMP guard and Kyle Bennett of Bennett Real Estate Ventures. Bennett has donated the torch, which will be displayed in the Wickenheiser Centre when it opens.
Emcee Derek Tremere set the tone early with a number of humorous quips during a night that was filled with personal stories and laughter.
Letters of congratulations were read from Premier Brad Wall, MLA Wayne Elhard, MP David Anderson, Leader of the Opposition Dwain Lingenfelter, and former Shaunavon resident and current University of New Brunswick athletic director Kevin Dickie.
A special letter was also read from Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Braydon Coburn, currently in the midst of a second round playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
Among the guest speakers were Shaunavon mayor Sharon Dickie, Karri Sachkowski of Shaunavon Minor Hockey, and Citizen of the Year Ken Billington, a former coach of Hayley’s, who presented her with an “I Love Shaunavon” jersey and a bouquet of flowers .

One of the most unforgettable moments was provided by 10-year-old Amanda Mitchell of Bracken, who delivered a very entertaining essay she had written about her hero and idol for a provincial 4-H competition.

Noah and Danielle also made a return to the stage, offering a few more insights into the Olympic experience.
Hayley, of course, also spoke to the crowd and once again reiterated the pride she has for her hometown and the wonderful memories she had growing up in the community.
She also thanked those involved with organizing Friday’s event, as well as everyone who has offered help and support to her over the years.
Hayley received numerous loud cheers throughout the evening, and a standing ovation at the end of the motivational video when the gold medal was presented to Hayley and Team Canada.
The Christ the King School choir opened the festivities by leading the crowd in a singing of the national anthem.  Alex McFadyen was also at the site with his world famous hockey scrap book.
Catherine Lewans, the local singer/songwriter who was recently nominated for three Saskatchewan Country Music Association awards, helped kick things off in a lively style with several tunes.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the event came when representatives of Crescent Point Energy were called to the stage to present a cheque for $350,000 to the Wickenheiser Centre.
The final tribute came from the Hunter Family, the talented local singing group who are extraordinary hockey players themselves and close friends of Hayley’s - who capped off an eventful evening with several high-energy and entertaining songs.
Organizers say the event raised a total of about $8,500 after expenses.
About 350 people were served the beef supper between 5-7 p.m, and an estimated crowd of between 500 and 600 people packed the curling rink to take in the celebration Friday night.