Crosby, MacKinnon visit 7-year-old with leukemia

Sidney-Crosby-Nathan-MacKinnon

Sidney Crosby, left, and Nathan MacKinnon, right, are both first-overall picks that grew up playing hockey in Cole Harbour, N.S. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Fellow Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia natives Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon may not be the best of friends on the ice, but off of it they’ve been doing a lot of good this summer.

Earlier this week, the two NHL stars surprised Tim Horton’s patrons at the drive thru window, as part of a commercial the two were filming at a Dartmouth, Nova Scotia franchise. The next day, the two were part of a more special surprise.

This story centres on Bryan Carroll, a seven-year-old Dartmouth boy who has been battling leukemia for more than a year. As Bryan and his family were away on a train trip, volunteers from the community gathered at the Carroll’s house and used materials donated by local businesses to give the backyard a makeover. According to a Global News story, Bryan is unable to leave home very often so he spends a lot of time with family and friends in the yard, which his father had mentioned was in need of some repairs.

The community installed a fire pit and surrounded it with chairs, a hammock, and provided a chest of Legos and other toys for Bryan. When the Carroll family returned, they were surprised at all the work.

“To come home to this – it’s fantastic,” Bryan’s father said.

Which brings us to MacKinnon and Crosby. After the volunteers had left, the two Nova Scotia hockey stars stopped by to meet Bryan, chat with the family, and play around for a while. It appears to be a quiet event, but you can see the two shooting water guns in the Global video below.

The Go Fund Me page that was started by friends in the community to raise money for the backyard makeover will remain active until Friday, with all money going to Bryan’s family.

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