Born in 1911, David Murray Dryden was the eldest of eight children raised on a Manitoba farm. He has been a sports lover all his life, starting with skating over ice-covered pastures of his family’s farm while dreaming of athletic glories. In those days, his skates were old rusty blades clamped to shoes or boots.

Murray and his wife Margaret moved to Etobicoke in 1948. With their three children, Dave, Ken and Judy, the family was active in both community and church life. Murray believed strongly in the importance of sports in the development of a child.

His company sponsored one of Dave’s hockey teams, and he and Dave coached and managed several of Ken’s teams in the Humber Valley League and Kingsway Baseball League.

Both Ken and Dave went on to successful goaltending careers in the National Hockey League. Murray wrote a weekly baseball update for the Etobicoke Guardian and later wrote three books including one about hockey entitled “Playing the Shots at Both Ends”.

In 1970, Murray and Margaret founded a unique, non-governmental organization for children – Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW). The $12.8 million raised by the organization has helped 522,600 children, their families, and the economies of 31 developing countries.

Murray and Margaret were inducted into the Etobicoke Hall of Fame in 1987. Murray has received many other honours including being made a Member of the Order of Canada.

Fifty-two years after arriving, Murray still lives in Etobicoke with his wife, Theda. Murray Dryden is a great believer in the importance of sports in Etobicoke.