Gladly granting a hand

Former champion heavyweight boxer Otis Grant's will be one of the few faces that stays out of the rink during the fifth annual Media Celebrity Hockey Marathon for the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation this Saturday at the Excellent Ice 3 on 3 rink in Kirkland.

"I haven't played hockey since I was 16 years old," Grant told The Chronicle with a laugh of his reason to stick to the sidelines. "I might be behind the bench," he said.

The marathon pits teams representing local media such as The Chronicle against celebrities as funds are raised for the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation. It is organized largely with the help of 94.7 FM broadcaster Marty Lamarre.

Grant said he gathered some hockey-playing friends to represent his own charity, the Otis Grant and Friends Foundation, at the tournament. He minimized his role in the proceedings. "These guys, they play hockey 3-4 nights a week together," he explained, "they don't need me to be a coach."

A familiar face both in the West Island and outside of it, Grant may not have much of a slap shot, but the community involvement aspect of the celebrity hockey marathon is something he's very familiar with.

Since 1999, Grant runs his foundation with his brother and friends, collecting food for the needy, helping other charitable organizations and families with low incomes. "(Lamarre's) always helped me out when he could," said Grant, so it is nice to be able to reciprocate.

Grant is also a community officer at Riverdale High School in Pierrefonds, working with teenagers to co-ordinate inter-school events and promote community involvement.

Through his gym, Grant Brothers Boxing, he also helps organize amateur boxing matches in the Montreal area.

A regular presence at the hockey marathon for quite a few years, Grant said he will probably be there to watch the friendly games with his wife and children. "It should be fun," he added.

"I think having fun while raising money for a good cause is the best way to do it," he said.