Bryan Berard is “Doing It For Daron” on Battle of the Blades

Former Ottawa Senators draft pick Bryan Berard has a contentious past with the City of Ottawa.  You may remember that the defenseman that was selected first overall refused to play for the team and forced the trade that netted the Senators Wade Redden.  Berard was also the victim of a tragic eye injury in Ottawa at the hands of an errant Marian Hossa stick, an accident that shortened and diminished the career of the American blueliner.

However, past history aside, Berard is now skating in CBC’s reality show Battle of the Blades.  Berard and his partner, Canadian Olympian Marie-France Dubreil have announced that if they win the competition they will make their $100,000 charitable donation prize to The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health’s Do It For Daron program.  This program was started in memory after the tragic suicide last fall of 14 year old Daron Richardson, daughter of former Senators player and current assistant coach Luke Richardson.

I have been involved with the people at The Royal Ottawa over the past couple of months as we planned our “Alfie Night In Ottawa” event and this is a very worthy cause, and the Do It For Daron program is under the same umbrella as the You Know Who I Am anti stigma campaign, which is where funds raised from our event will also go.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Tune into CBC every Sunday and Monday at 8pm to watch Bryan Berard and his five time Canadian Ice Dance Champion partner, Marie-France Dubreuil, compete for your votes.

WHEN TO VOTE

Canadians can vote during each Sunday’s performance show from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET. The first vote is on Sunday September 25, the next is on Monday September 26 and there is another vote every Sunday until the final vote on Sunday November 13th.

HOW TO VOTE

1)      WEB

Between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. (following the live shows), you can vote from the official Battle of the Blades’ Facebook Application. Find out how to install the app in two easy clicks here: www.cbc.ca/battle/vote.html. You can also vote from the official Battle of the Blades’ Facebook Application. You will be required to login with your Facebook account to vote via web, whether you vote on this site or on Facebook. You can vote every five minutes.

2)      PHONE

During voting hours you can call and cast your vote for Bryan and Marie-France (and D.I.F.D.!!) by dialing 1-877-844-8155. Phone voting is unlimited (and toll free) so keep the calls and votes coming!!

The date of the final vote for Battle of the Blades is November 13th, which also happens to be the date that Daron Richardson took her own life, one year earlier.  I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to her than to help make sure that Berard and Dubreil win the competition and can make the donation to the program that honours Daron’s memory!

THANK YOU for supporting D.I.F.D., and from past history I never thought I would be saying this, but good luck to Bryan Berard!

**Don’t forget to get your Tickets for SenShot’s Alfie Night in Ottawa on November 11th, 2011.  All proceeds from the event will go to The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. Click here for more details**

_______________________________________________________________________________

Thanks for reading and as always, comments are welcomed.

Can’t get enough of SenShot? Here are more ways to get the most info about your Ottawa Senators.

You can follow us on TwitterTony @13thforwardJared @alfieisgod, Derrick @DerrickvonBrose and Brandy @brandychadala.

Visit our SenShot Facebook PageLike us and post comments, photos and videos.

Please visit our NHL Main PageToo Many Men On The Site