PATCH

Description: BL FELT MAPLE LEAF CREST. EMBROIDERED OUTLINE AND LEAF VEIN IN WHT THREAD. RD FELT "6" AND STYLIZED TEXT "LETHBRIDGE" IN WHITE FELT WITH BLACK BORDER.

History: PATCH IS OF TYPE WORN BY MEMBERS OF THE JUNIOR HOCKEY TEAM THE ‘LETHBRIDGE MAPLE LEAFS’. THE TEAM WAS SPONSORED IN 1946-47 BY THE SICKS’ ‘6’ LETHBRIDGE BREWERY WHICH, WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN ALL FORMS OF COMMUNITY SPORTS AND EVENTS RANGING FROM HUNTING TO CURLING. IN 1951, THE LETHBRIDGE MAPLE LEAFS WON THE WORLD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP IN EUROPE. MEMBERS OF THE TEAM LATER WENT ON TO REPRESENT CANADA AT THE 1952 OLYMPIC GAMES IN NORWAY WHERE THE TEAM WON THE GOLD MEDAL. ORIGINAL OWNER OF ITEMS, ERIC GAVRON, BEGAN WORKING AT THE SICKS BREWERY AFTER HE RETURNED FROM MILITARY SERVICE IN WWI. HE WAS THE SECOND GENERATION - HIS FATHER MICHAEL GAVRON WAS THE FIRST - TO WORK AT THE BREWERY. DONOR STATED THAT MR GAVRON WORKED ON THE BREWERY'S BOTTLING LINE, RETIRING IN THE MID 80S. HE LIVED HIS WHOLE LIFE IN LETHBRIDGE, PASSING AWAY IN MARCH 2004. SOME OF THE MATERIALS MAY HAVE MADE THEIR WAY INTO GAVRON'S POSSESSION VIA HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW MICHAEL "SPIKE" MARTELL. SPIKE WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE MANAGED THE LOCAL LETHBRIDGE ARENA AS WELL AS WORKED IN PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR THE BREWERY. THE DONOR'S WERE LONG TIME FRIENDS WITH GAVRON AND FARMED HIS WIFE LAND , BEGINNING IN 1973. KATHARINA HERBST BECAME THE RECIPIENT OF MR. GAVRON ESTATE AFTER HIS PASSING. MR.HERBST RECALLED SOME OF THE MATERIAL HANGING ON THE WALLS OF GAVRON'S BASEMENT, BUT MRS. HERBST FELT MUCH WAS SQUIRRELED AWAY IN BOXES.