Here's a visual ...
Posted on 01/09/2007 8:31:35 AM PST by NorthOf45
Goalie mask soldier tribute
By Patrick Maloney, Free Press Reporter
via lfpress.ca
January 9, 2007
Trooper Mark Wilson's death in Afghanistan has inspired a special piece of art that's being passed among elite NHL players and may become part of the upcoming all-star game.
Sports artist David Arrigo, a friend of one of Wilson's relatives, was hit hard by the October death of the London soldier and inspired to design a military-themed goalie mask.
"It just sort of pushed me -- this is going to be my addition to thanking the soldiers," said Arrigo, who has done work for years for the NHL, NFL and other pro sports leagues.
"(But) I didn't want this piece to be about any one person -- it's more about all the soldiers in Afghanistan."
The detailed mask design, Arrigo explained, has two distinct sides: The right is called "the mission," and features images of an Afghani girl reading and a Canadian soldier. The left side, called "the memory," includes a bagpiper and a soldier pinning a poppy on a wreath.
What could have been a quiet tribute, however, is getting much more attention thanks to the contacts Arrigo and Wilson's cousin, NHL photographer Dave Sandford, have throughout pro hockey.
The pair are in discussions with at least one goalie to wear the mask in Dallas on Jan. 24 during the all-star skills competition or in the all-star game.
They have also photographed the mask with hockey celebrities such as Don Cherry, who mentioned the project during Coach's Corner on Hockey Night In Canada. Sandford was to photograph Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby with it.
Those photos will eventually be posted at nhl.com and on Arrigo's own website, darrigoart.com. Arrigo's mask will then be auctioned off on the NHL's website with the money raised going to the families of fallen troops.
"I'm looking to put a call out to corporate Canada," Arrigo said. "If they're not going to bid on the mask, (they could) create some other programs of awareness."
NHL officials in the U.S. were so impressed, they have asked Arrigo to make a mask with an American theme.
Wilson, 39, was killed in an October roadside bomb attack while serving in Afghanistan. As London's first combat casualty of the mission, his death rocked the city and sparked an outpouring of support for the family.
The attention the mask is generating is further proof that support continues, his cousin Sandford said.
"They're not forgetting this," said Sandford. "While everybody may not agree with why they're there (in Afghanistan), the fact . . . is they're there. You have to support them.
"Whether it's in the form of a little yellow ribbon or a goalie mask, it's one of those things that keeps (it) in the forefront."
Ping
That's a very nice piece of work.
PING!
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