When Dalyn Wakely was traded from the Battalion to the Colts, his Wake's Sake initiative was nearly two years old, having a big impact on the North Bay area.
But his support for the community never wavered, and Wake's Sake continued throughout his time in Barrie.
"When I first got here, one of the first things we talked about was trying to get involved in this community," Wakely added. "With the help of my billet and, you know, the great leadership and staff with the Colts, they were able to help me get into this and connect me with the Busby Center."
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"It's a part of who he is," said Wakely's billet mother Megan Glatt. "That was one of the first conversations we had, talking about what he did in North Bay for the gathering place, and just how he wanted to start it up here in Barrie. He asked about what a good, local charity would be to support that doesn't always necessarily get the spotlight."
The Colts forward partnered with the team to accept food and clothing donations in support of the Busby Centre and the Barrie Food Bank during home games through the 2024-25 OHL season. Monday's final visit.
Volunteers at the Busby Centre said that nobody embodies the motto of 'Everybody is Somebody' like Wakely does.
"Both communities were really welcoming and do so much to help places like this," Wakely said. "For Barrie, just coming to the rink and seeing all the donations that folks are bringing in and wanting to support the Busby Center, I thought was great."
Thursday's final visit for Wakely included a final monetary donation on behalf of himself and Barrie Colts owner Howie Campbell. He also noted how important it was for him to use his status as a major junior hockey player to help the Busby Centre's cause.
"I try to use my platform a little bit to shine a light on the great things the folks here do," he said. "I feel it goes unappreciated. Sometimes they do so, so much. Even just being here today and seeing everyone working hard, they deserve to be recognized and deserve to be helped in support of what they do. It's volunteer work for those people and they do such a great job at it."
Wakely also mentioned how important it was for him to have his teammates involved throughout the season, a sentiment that was greatly appreciated by the volunteers at the Busby Centre.
Now as Wakely has aged out of major junior hockey, Wakely's career is moving on outside of Barrie. However, he plans to continue his initiative in the next market he plays in.
"The communities I've already been talking to, whether it's pro with Edmonton, some of the schools in the states, that's a big thing for them," he said. "I always want to bring that wherever I go. So it'll be exciting wherever I land."
Wakely was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round (192nd overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Oilers have not signed him to a pro contract yet, but still retain his draft rights for one more season.
In the meantime, Wakely says his plan for next season is to play NCAA Division I ice hockey, a route many of his teammates have taken since Barrie's season ended in the OHL's Eastern Conference Final. He remains uncommitted but added that he hopes to be playing against former teammate Beau Jelsma, who recently committed to Providence.
