JULIE BERTRAND / Independent reporter
Come September, people going to the Stettler Lightning games at the Rec Centre will be buying their admission tickets and their 50/50 tickets from new people.
Grant MacPherson and Gertie Thieme have decided to retire from their Stettler Lightning duties, after approximately eight years of service.
“We decided to give it up for health reasons, “ said Gertie Thieme.
“It was time for us to leave. We aren’t spring chickens anymore.”
Thieme is 81 years old while MacPherson is 76 years old.
During these past eight years, the couple were always present at the gate from September to April, with Thieme selling the 50/50 tickets and MacPherson selling the admission tickets.
The couple got involved because MacPherson’s son Terry was playing with the Lightning at the time.
“Actually, we went to see the Lightning executive,” said MacPherson.
“We talked and told them we would take this part over. It worked out pretty good.”
After Terry retired from the Lightning, Gertie and Grant kept on volunteering.
“I used to have a convenience store, so I enjoyed that because it was kind of doing the same thing. I had my customers,” said Thieme.
While it was the social aspect of the work that kept Thieme volunteering, it was the game that kept MacPherson coming to the Rec Centre on game nights.
“I enjoyed it. I talked to the players when they were coming in and things like that,” said MacPherson.
“I liked watching the games. It was good hockey.”
Thieme is not the hockey fan that she used to be and didn’t really watch the Lightning games.
“I was ideal for the job,” joked Thieme.
She was more intent on talking to people and selling the tickets than keeping up with the score.
Thieme looked forward to each game to talk with her customers.
“You make friends with those and they keep coming back and you look forward to seeing them each time again,” said Thieme.
“That’s what made it very nice and enjoyable.”
“Everybody always stopped to talk,” added MacPherson.
Now that they won’t have to go to the Rec Centre for every Stettler Lightning game, Thieme and MacPherson will have more time for their pastimes.
“I’m still in communities in bloom,” said Thieme.
“I’ve been on that committee for 20 years.”
MacPherson, for his part, hopes to attend a Lightning game every once in a while.
They will also keep going every Monday night to the Legion to play shuffleboard.
“It’s really wonderful the way they do it,” said Thieme.
“We really enjoy that and the people that show up are great.”
When next fall arrives and the hockey season starts, Thieme and MacPherson believe they will feel a bit nostalgic about their volunteer jobs.
“In a way we will miss going to the SRC. However, I don’t think we’ll miss for too long,” said MacPherson.
“I’ll miss it. I have always been involved in groups and things,” said Thieme.