Date: 2010/02/25

Byline: Brian Wilford

Sickness, crying fit doesn't stop six-year-old from singing anthem at 100 Island hockey games

PARKSVILLE — She sang right after she puked, she sang right after a crying fit, she sang suffering through colds, flus, coughs and sore throats. But she sang.

And whenever she stepped out onto the ice at Oceanside Place, the microphone almost as long her arm, Jessica Kelly had a beaming smile on her face, a twinkle in her blue eyes, and a rendition of O Canada that to this day never fails to draw a cheer.

Jessie, now 6 and halfway through her first official year of school, was honoured at centre ice Saturday night for singing the anthem at 100 Oceanside Generals games.

The only games she missed over the years, according to dad Mike, were the nights she was booked to sing at another event, and she only went to those after being convinced it was okay with the hometown team.

And nobody's pushing her to do it. If anything, she's pulling the Kelly family along with her. She's fiercely loyal to the Generals and she loves to get up in front of a crowd and sing.

Before Saturday's anthem, actually her 102nd or 103rd time with the Generals, according to mom Jane, Jessie was invited out to centre ice, escorted by Captain Peter Funnell.

Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney presented her with a Canadian flag and Generals Coach and General Manager Dave Johnston awarded her a "gold medal," inscribed on the back to mark the occasion.

Then Jessie took centre stage and sang her usual a-cappella anthem, her always pitch-perfect voice now surprisingly strong and full of tones and colours that come from many afternoons of practice.

The crowd cheered as she made her way to the corridor outside the Generals dressing room, where mom told her she'd done a great job.

Jessie happily posed for a picture with her medal and seconds later was off scampering about like any other six-year-old rink rat.

Said mom with a smile: "It's a wild ride we're on."