Monday was an exciting day for some lucky youth in Regina!
Ehrlo Sport Venture’s Monday Night Football (MNF) kickoff was on Labour Day, and there was a tremendous response!
Gloria Patrick, manager of Ehrlo Sport Venture, said, “This year saw a record number of youth who wanted to participate in the program which was fantastic! I’d like to thank the Riders and cheerleaders who came to make this event so special as well as the Rider alumni for their generous donation!”
The Rider alumni donated 200 mini footballs to all the participants.
Greg Fieger is an alumni who is also a previous chair of the Ranch Ehrlo board. He is the liason between the Ranch and the Rider alumni. The other alumni who contribute so much to Ehrlo Sport Venture are Rob Bresciani, president of the Rider Alumni Association, Cleveland Vann, Preston Young, Mike Strickland, Roger Aldag, and Carmelo Cartieri.
The youth were treated to coaching from actual Roughrider players! Jamal Campbell, A.C. Leonard, Wesley Lewis, and Keion Adams were there to teach the youth some tricks of the trade.
Jamal said, “I always jump at the chance to give back to the community. This is a great program for kids, and I’m happy that I could contribute.”
There were some cheerleaders from the Rider Cheer Team to encourage the youth and helped to distribute the food at the pizza party!
Parents of the youth were also enthusiastic about the event. Kaleb Merasty said, “It’s pretty special that she can play football for the first time in Mosaic Stadium!”
He explained his daughter was happy, nervous, and excited in the days leading up to Monday’s event.
“This is a pretty amazing program,” he added.
Excitement was common among all the youth as they warmed up, ran drills, and practiced catching the ball.
One youth exclaimed, “It’s really cool the Riders are here! It gives the kids the opportunity to meet their idols.”
The participant said, “We’re able to learn new skills here without judgement. I’m looking forward to playing as long as I can!”
Gloria said the MNF league gives youth a chance to participate in sport where they may not otherwise be able to do so.
She said, “Our volunteer coaches have come through again this season to support our players by offering positive encouragement as they try a new sport! It’s certainly special to play on the same field as the Saskatchewan Roughriders and is exciting for our athletes and families.”
If you would like to register for MNF’s waitlist, please email sportventureleagues@ranchehrlo.ca.
