WINGHAM, ONT. -- It was a little less than a year ago when Ryan O’Reilly brought the Stanley Cup back to Huron County. Now, he’s bringing hand sanitizer home.

“I want to be there. I want to make sure that happens sooner, rather than later, and this is kind of a way to to help do that and take care of not only family, but everyone back home,” says O’Reilly.

O’Reilly is with his family in St. Louis awaiting the resumption of the NHL.

But when an opportunity came up to send some sanitizer back home, he jumped on it, especially when some of it will end up in the home his beloved grandmother in Seaforth.

“This is where I grew up. It’s special to me, so it’s sad I can’t be there right now with my family, and especially my granny, Deirdre O’Reilly. She’s in a home in Seaforth. So, this was opportunity to help out, and try to keep everyone safe,” says O’Reilly.

O’Reilly and his team of volunteers have secured 4200 bottles or 350 cases of hand sanitizer from Dillon’s Distillery in the Niagara Region.

To kick start, “Snooks Sanitizer Drive”, he’s purchased 270 bottles, or more than $5000 worth of hand sanitizer, to donate to the Alexandra Marine Hospital in Goderich, and long term care homes in Huron County.

Goderich native and Stanley Cup Champion, Larry Jeffrey has matched that donation.

O’Reilly is hoping other organizations, businesses, and residents can join the campaign to get sanitizer in the hands of health care workers on the front lines.

Huron East reeve Bernie Maclellan says the sanitizer drive will be very helpful for the county’s long term care homes.

“The privately run homes are struggling a little bit because there is extra expense in what they’re having to do, right now. So having a program like this come along, it’s really helpful,” he says.

Bottles are being sold at below retail for $20 per bottle. The hope is to have the cases of hand sanitizer distributed to Huron County long-term care homes by next Friday.

To be a part of “Snook’s Sanitizer Drive” you can contact Abbey Faris at Abbey_Faris@hotmail.com or visit Fans of Ryan O’Reilly on Facebook.