Story by Randy Schultz; Photos by Janet Schultz©
“Helping out others.”
Three simple words that have a very strong meaning, especially to Anna Maki. For the Depew High School senior these are words she lives by every day. And they are words that she is applying to the next chapter in her life.
Being a fireman. That’s right, a fireman.
That chapter was revealed on LIDA’s (Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew/Alden) girls high school hockey team’s senior night. Maki played defense on the team.
As LIDA head coach Kevin Miller read off Maki’s accomplishments as a player and what her future plans were, fireman popped up.
As her coaches on the hockey team explained, Maki may not light up the scoreboard, but she is the type of player you wanted on the team.
“She would do anything you wanted,” explained Miller. “She would play any position you needed her to play.
“Infact, the coaching staff considered her as an emergency backup goalie. And she would have done it.”
But a fireman?
“My whole life I’ve always loved helping people and doing what I can to help the community out,” explained Maki. “And I found out at the age of 14 you could become a junior fire fighter.
“My family is in it, so why don’t I try it out and see if it’s something I like. So I joined at 14 and eventually became president of the junior fire fighters when I was 16.
“I was president until I was 18. Now I’m a probationary fire fighter until I get all my training done to become an interior and exterior fire fighter.”
The rest of that training will come during the summer. And by the time she enters college this fall at Daemen University Maki will be a full-time college student and fire fighter.
Maki will be studying Sports Medicine in hopes of become an Athletic Trainer.
The Depew High School senior has been playing hockey since she was two.
“I’ve had the passion for hockey since I was two,” continued Maki, who, when not playing for LIDA played for the Bisons hockey organization. “I love this sport so much.
“I know I was listed on our roster as a forward for LIDA, but I switched to defense with the Bisons this year and then did the same with the high school team.
“But I would play wherever Coach Miller wanted me to play. I just want to help out.”
Need anything more be said?
