Love can blossom for a variety of reasons, it could be fate, it could be luck, it could be flat out persistence. Sometimes it could be simply putting yourself out there.
    Greg Manca was a strapping young lad from Leduc, making his way to building a career at McDonald’s in Abbotsford, B.C.
    It was the same place Summer worked. Now, this isn’t a simple workplace romance. While they worked together briefly, it actually took until Summer left that job and was on to something else that they found each other. At an intersection in Abbotsford.
    “I saw him driving, and pulled up beside him at a red light,” said Summer.
    Greg continued, “She rolled down the window and said ‘Hey, miss me yet?’ and gave me a wink. I said ‘Of course I miss you.’”
    The light changed and they both went back to work.
    That chance meeting stuck with Summer, and after consulting with her co-workers, she went home, looked up his number in the phone book and gave him a call.
    “When she called me it was pretty cute because I remember I was in my basement suite on a day off. She said ‘Hey it’s Summer, I’m calling just to let you know you can call me some time,’” he chuckles. “We chatted for a bit and we went out that night.”
    Their first date was April 22, 1997. They went to see Jim Carrey’s ‘Liar Liar’.
    This was a harbinger of the future it appears, because Greg is quite the movie buff, especially the Star Wars franchise. In fact on the day of the interview, the couple spent the previous evening at the Napier Theatre, watching Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
    More dates, more concerts and more movies, (their favourite being The Wedding Singer), and eight years later they were engaged in Whistler, B.C. Less than a year later, in 2005, they were married.
    Asking Greg, when he knew she was the one, he says, “I think I always knew. She is very sweet and very caring. I am very lucky.”
    He also adds he appreciates Summer’s great patience.
    Summer chuckles and says she was on a mission.
    “First, I knew he was the type of person… and then I knew he is the person, my person.”
    The couple came to Drumheller in 2011, and are busy running a McDonald’s restaurant and raising their kids, Evan 13 and Mia 11.
    This year they are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary. Maybe they’ll catch a movie.

    The Dragons continue their winning way with two big wins over inter-division rivals.
    The Dragons hosted the Camrose Kodiaks on Saturday night, February 8 and jumped out to the lead less than three minutes in with a goal from Scout Truman. Three minutes later Luke Fennig followed it up to put the Dragons up 2-0 after one period.
    Kaden Hanas added one on the powerplay 1:41 into the second period, but the Kodiaks answered back with a powerplay goal of its own. Grayson Dietrich capped off the period putting the  Dragons up 4-1 after two.  Eric Martin added one more midway through the third period as the Dragons cruised to a 5-1 win.
    On Sunday, February 9, the Dragons hosted the Olds Grizzlys. Once again the Dragons jumped out ahead with a goal from Brady Risk 16 minutes into the first period.
    In the second the Dragons peppered the net as Eric Martin Shane Ott, Risk and Kobe Mohr all found the back of the net. Risk added one more in the third period to complete his hattrick and lead the Dragons to a 6-0 win. Ryley Osland had the shutout stopping 22 goals.
    These wins extend the Dragons streak to 6 games.
    This Friday, February 14 the Dragons are hosting the Canmore Eagles and then Saturday travel to Okotoks to take on the Oilers. On Monday, February 17 they are in Olds to take on the Grizzlys.