Win or lose, the residents of Yellow Grass are proud of their native son, Peter Schaefer, who has been doing his part to help his team, the Ottawa Senators, battle the Anaheim Ducks in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and they have been gathering every game night at the Yellow Grass Communiplex to cheer him on.

Organized by Yellow Grass residents Danna Grassick and Erin Westling, each night features the game on big-screen TV, and they have food and refreshments available for the hockey fans who come out to see the game and see how well Schaefer plays. The events are a fundraiser at the same time, with all proceeds from each game night going back to the Communiplex.

The lounge area has been decorated with Senators' logos and signs everywhere, with such slogans as, "He is No. 27 in the Senators' program, No. 1 in Yellow Grass hearts!"

In addition, the lounge features 14 jerseys worn by Peter Schaefer, from when he played minor hockey in Yellow Grass up to his years with the Brandon Wheat Kings, with Team Canada at the World Juniors, and then with his first NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks, before he went on to Ottawa.

In this atmosphere, the residents and hockey fans have been gathering to have some food, some drinks and noisily take in the action of each hockey game. On the first night, the crew served up 60 suppers, then on Wednesday the crowd grew and they served up 80 suppers, and counted some 125 in the audience.

On Saturday, the first game that Ottawa won and the largest crowd of the four games so far, Grassick and Westling and the volunteers cooked up 16 roasts and completely sold out, with a raucous crowd of between 120 and 140 on hand to wildly cheer on the Senators.

Grassick noted that the game night events were first organized for the Pittsburgh series, and then for the next two series most people were busy with seeding. Then, with the Senators in the finals, a number of locals went to Ottawa for the games, both friends and family of Peter Schaefer, so she and Westling decided to take on the task of organizing the game night supper events.

"The community is absolutely amazing; there were always people who asked if there's anything they could do. Everyone helps, and we pulled together and got it done. People would just step in and bring desserts or clean up or do the dishes or mop the floor - it's great," said Grassick of the community effort to put on the events.

Grassick grew up as good friends with Peter's sister Falin, and she recalled how the Schaefer family would take her along to see games in Brandon, and more recently in Ottawa, where Peter's wife drove them around.

"The whole Schaefer family is like that, they'll do anything for you, so we will do anything for them," said Grassick.

She talked to Falin after the Saturday which Ottawa won to get back into the series after losing the first two games.

"She said it was just a blast. They were all hoarse from yelling, and they're having a great time out there," said Grassick, noting Peter's mom, Tracy, and grandmother, Joanne Hennie, will be with the Senators until the end. The Senators have chartered a plane for family of the players, and they will be down in Anaheim for game five tonight, and if Ottawa wins, they'll be back in Ottawa for Saturday night.

The Saturday game was the wildest one as well, as Grassick said of the game nights, "It's always been upbeat, but Saturday everyone was crazy. They were cheering and having a great time, doing high-fives." Some of the highlights that the crowd went crazy for included a break-away by Schaefer, and then when Schaefer was involved in a melee in front of the team benches in the third period.

Then on Monday evening, with ball and soccer on in town, the crowd was down a bit to around 65 people, but they were mostly upbeat through the game even though it ended as a loss for Ottawa.

"There is optimism still, I think. We're in the fight for our life - but win or lose, we're all still proud of Peter," she said.