For a counseling service that's funded by government and community donation alone to stay open for 25 years is impressive. To do it and continue to grow in that time, that's extraordinary. That's exactly what brought so many people together to help celebrate Envision Counselling's 25th Anniversary on Thursday.

To help the celebration, they brought in a man who's 1000 points in the NHL, Stanley Cup Ring with the Calgary Flames, and Olympic Gold Medal are minor achievements in his eyes compared to what else he's done, Theoren Fleury. His autobiography 'Playing with Fire' is a Canadian Best Seller that puts into great detail his experience in life dealing with being sexually abused as a child by one of his hockey coaches, Graham James. The book itself has helped millions, and because of it, propelled Fleury towards a career in helping people for the rest of his life.

"Speaking for an hour, I just have to say how amazing Envision is because I met them two years ago on the Victor Walk, and it was probably the best city in the six Victor Walks that we did for participation. Lots of people willing to just talk about their story of sexual abuse. We were all crying cause we were so appreciative of the fact that this group, Envision, is doing amazing work, and that's what it's all about. It's not easy, it's tough."

Fleury spoke on a number of different topics, including how he has battled alcoholism and drug use, though he didn't use the word 'addiction' for a reason. Instead, he considered it more of a coping mechanism, a way to battle his emotional turmoil without going into a relationship.

He shared the story of a time he spoke at a prison and one of the inmates had the opportunity to beat a man that had sexually abused him as a child, and chose not to when he found the man cowering in fear, and how inspiring Theo found that story as inspiration.

One of the most humanizing moment for the crowd entirely was when Fleury called out the silence in the crowd as he spoke. He knew the effect he was having on the crowd and how the words he spoke were making each and every individual was challenging themselves in some way.

"I think it went really well and I think that a lot of people came out from the community and filled up the curling rink which is really nice to see. A lot of people were really excited to see Theo Fleury come talk about his story to us," said Envision's Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator Julie Dzuba.

Another highlight of his speech comes from his use of the word 'vulnerability'. It's a word that many people associate with weakness, but in Fleury's case, it was his strength, and his motivation to continue to help others. He encourages that everyone has been through some form of trauma and everyone need some type of healing, and that those who need the healing themselves are the ones that can help others the most. 

"I think it's really important and it's something that people need to talk more about because there is more than just one way to be a man and I think he is really doing great work and it's important to see people like hockey players and people that are traditional masculine role models being vulnerable so people can look up to that."