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31 | Friday, May 10, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com A S P E C I A L D A Y Oakville Shooting Stars players Brenden Brodhurst (left) and Andrew Beauchesne show off their medals from the Shooting Stars' inaugural Special Olympics basketball tournament recently at St. Ignatius of Loyola. The tournament drew teams from Burlington, Milton, Brampton and Mississauga. Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn and the Toronto Raptors' mascot were on hand for the closing ceremonies as well. The Shooting Stars are just one of a number of community-based programs that provide sport competition for people with intellectual disabilities. For more information on Oakville clubs, visit www.oakvillespecialolympics.org.| photo by Steven Der-Garabedian -- Special to the Beaver Artificial turf field unfeasible, organizer says continued from p.30 Dufferin rep Bill Galloway said the Holcim (Canada) Inc.-owned company, which has its head office on Dorval Drive and also has an asphalt plant and yard near Blakelock, feels compelled to give back to the Oakville community. "We are fortunate to have tremendous skill-based employees who are engaged as community partners and can bring specific skills to projects like this and various other activities," said Galloway, noting Dufferin recently provided similar assistance with upgrades at Coronation Park. "The reality is that we're here and we have to be part of the community, recognized what the community needs and do what we can to satisfy those needs." The SOS Committee had initially hoped to convert the athletic field to artificial turf, similar to the fields all Catholic high schools in Halton now feature, and pitched the idea to the HDSB in 2011. But Ferrone said the cost, combined with the fact there are now so many artificial turf fields in the town, made it unfeasible. "(Our students wonder) why can't we have fields like this when Loyola and St. Thomas Aquinas have them. There's not a chance in hell we could afford that," said Ferrone. "The revenue component of having a field to rent out and make the money just isn't there, not with the town having so many fields... It's all economics." An Abbey Park ball carrier is tackled by Oakville Trafalgar's Phil Jager during Monday's Halton senior boys' rugby contest at OT. The Red Devils defeated Abbey Park 34-0. | photo by Graham Paine -- Oakville Beaver -- Halton_Photog Son of taekwondo founder at Ridge tomorrow Red Devils ground Eagles in rugby clash Master Choi Hung Hwa, the son of the founder of taekwondo, will be the special guest of honour at tomorrow's (Saturday's) 2013 Master Choi's Taekwon-Do Cup at Iroquois Ridge High School. The tournament, hosted by Horizon Taekwon-Do owner Louie Sanchez and seventh-degree black belt Master Parm Rai, will feature approximately 400 participants -- 150 of whom are first-degree black belts and higher. There will be both patterns and sparring competitions at the event, which will begin at 9 a.m. Senior Masters from around the world will also be in attendance, with several providing a special demonstration for spectators at noon. Little League supporting cancer foundation Oakville Little League will begin its 2013 season this weekend by painting its diamonds pink and donating all proceeds to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation in Sports Briefs celebration of Mother's Day. Opening-weekend action will see the Minor AAA (11-under) and Major (12U) divisions in action at Cornwall Park, located at 425 Cornwall Rd. Opening ceremonies, which begin at 11 a.m., will be preceded by a small parade of competing teams into the park. Spectators are encouraged to support the event by purchasing pink cupcakes, buying 50/50 raffle tickets or simply making a donation. Games begin at 9 a.m. "Being a volunteer-based organization similar to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, we thought raising the awareness of breast cancer -- which is the most common cancer in women -- is our way of supporting a great cause," said OLL president John Sweeney. The Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils exacted a little payback on the Abbey Park Eagles Monday at OT. The Red Devils rolled over Abbey Park 34-0 in Halton senior boys' high school rugby play, the first meeting between the two programs since the Eagles ended OT's 11year Halton championship run with a 32-10 win in last spring's title game. Abbey Park coach Tyler Leggatt, without several star players from last year due to graduation, was impressed with what he saw from the Red Devils. "From a tactical standpoint, we had the majority of territory and possession in the first half, but every time OT had the ball, they were quick to organize themselves and moved the ball quickly to space. Our boys weren't able to match after one or two phases," Leggatt said. "Having former Canadian national team prop Dan Pletch on their sideline coaching has been a huge benefit for them, and you can see evidence of it in their lineouts and scrummaging. I think coach James Wood has done a great job with their backs and certainly set a platform that creates opportunities for their stronger runners." Even with last year's loss in the Halton final, the Red Devils have won the regional championship in 40 of the past 42 years. Abbey Park has emerged as OT's biggest rival in recent seasons. The two programs even met in the bronze-medal game at the 2011 OFSAA tournament, when the Red Devils prevailed 13-0. OT and Abbey Park will meet again Wednesday at Abbey Park (3:30 p.m.) in the final game of the regular season. And if history is any guide, there will likely be one more showdown between the programs this spring -- in the Halton final May 27 at Burlington's Sherwood Forest Park. -- Jon Kuiperij