Before I start, allow me first to greet a Happiest Birthday to Fly Friendly Travel and Tours president Resty Reyes, who just turned 53 last November 5.
Even before I met Resty, I was already writing about his Fly Friendly Travel basketball team because of the information provided to me by Edwin Arciaga.
Your Kuya Resty turns out to be one hell of a gentleman, candid and whose friendship I have become fond of. You remind me of dearest friends (some are dead and some are living) back home Resty who have become true friends all these long, long years.
Happy birthday Mr. Fly Friendly Travel!
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One afternoon, I visited coach Chester Tiongson at the Crosstown Auto Centre who gladly informed me that their dealer principal Kuya Joe Medina and the dealership are supporting a basketball league organized by Rey Nodado in Cold Lake.
They just finished their basketball league with a humble start of five teams that included a rag tag squad from Lac La Biche.
Nodado said they are happy to organize a league for the Filipino community which has drawn support from Crosstown Auto Centre, the media in Cold Lake including from Mayor Copeland, who insists not to be addressed as Mayor but just by his first name, Craig.
He added that all Filipinos are busy with work and a basketball league would give them the needed break. Right after the basketball season, they also followed it up with a volleyball league that would give the players’ spouses a chance to get some needed exercise and fun.
And yes, they have fun every Sunday. It’s not just to play and have fun but to feel the warmth of genuine Filipino hospitality in Cold Lake.
Feels like it’s not really that “cold” in Cold Lake.
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Nodado said while the volleyball games are ongoing, they are excited to resume the basketball league in January next year and then by summer, probably in May, they will have their Summer League.
I know that Crosstown Auto has been supporting Filipino leagues around the province and we would like to thank the dealership for being generous in keeping sports alive in the Filipino community.
We are just lucky that Kuya Joe Medina loves to play basketball and coach Chester, who used to be an assistant of coach Norman Black, is also very much into basketball, forming his teams to represent the dealership in various invitational tournaments, despite his hectic new post as manager.
The recent one that we had the opportunity to cover was in Edson where Filipinos have kept the Pinoy brand of basketball alive. Thanks Crosstown Auto!
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Again, we are calling the Pinoy sports community to keep us posted of your events. Please email your photos and stories to mocolumnist@albertafilipinojournal.com. Salamat po!
