Van der Hoek's mask design. Photo Submitted.
A unique contest hit twitter on May 11, in which Edmonton Oilers fans were asked to design a goalie mask. The winning design would be made into a real Oilers mask to be auctioned off to fundraise for COVID-19 relief in Northern Alberta. Elk Point native and long-time Oilers fan Jennifer Van der Hoek saw the contest as an opportunity to get creative, and put her passion for art to use towards a good cause; “The premise of the contest was great,” Van der Hoek states. “I didn’t expect to win at all, but I thought it would be fun to do up a design. The more that I worked on it, the happier I became with the mask,” she explains further; “I wanted a bold, simple design in the Oilers colors: orange, blue, and white. I immediately thought of the parallels between masks protecting goalies and protecting frontline workers, as well as the many representations of frontline workers as superheroes, many of whom also wear masks. That led me to the tagline: our heroes wear masks.” Auctioning for the mask will begin on July 7th, with all proceeds going towards COVID-19 relief.