Mitch Ward
CFL.ca

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and give thanks for all of the good things in our lives. Here at the CFL, each of our eight teams is thankful and proud to be a part of the community in which they play. As we here at CFL.ca take time to give thanks this weekend, we want to take a moment to point out some of the many ways our teams give back and show their appreciation for the people who make this league what it is: The Fans. In the second part of our thanksgiving feature we take a look at a few of the exciting community initiatives taken by the four Western Division teams.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Supporting amateur football in the province of Saskatchewan has always been a priority for the Roughriders. This summer Roughriders president and CEO Jim Hopson announced that the team would donate $25,000 each to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, the Saskatoon Hilltops and Football Saskatchewan.

“The Rider organization understands the importance of its support for amateur sport both in terms of building and sustaining the game of football in Saskatchewan,” stated Hopson. "A spinoff of one of the strongest and most vibrant amateur football programs in the country is the number of Saskatchewan young men playing for the Riders and throughout the CFL."

The team also has a long history of supporting amateur football in the province in many ways besides making financial contributions. Players, coaches and other personnel donate numerous man-hours every year to support various football camps as well as annual punt, pass and kick clinics.

As a testament to the strong grassroots football in the province there are numerous players on the team’s roster born in the province. Some of that homegrown talent includes slotback Jason Clermont, running back Stu Foord, defensive back Tamon George, slotback Chris Getzlaf, and the longest serving Rider Gene Makowsky.

Other team initiatives include the Greenzone Sustainability Blitz;an interactive activity providing students with strategies to reduce their water, energy and waste output. For more on the Riders community initiatives visit Riderville.com

Edmonton Eskimos

One of the biggest ways the Edmonton Eskimos are involved in the community is by promoting the education and success of the city’s youth. Through the Stay in School program Eskimo players such as Kamau Peterson, Patrick Kabongo and Chris Ciezki travel to local schools and talk to students about many issues facing today’s youth.

The Eskimos know that being a kid these days can be tough but that, “sometimes an inspirational word from a role model is all it takes to help a young person make positive choices.” With that in mind the Eskimos players deliver powerful messages and tackle important issues like bullying, having a positive attitude and the importance of a good education.

In addition to the Stay In School program, this past week several Eskimos players headed back to school to participate in Read-In Week 2009. The purpose of Read In is to get youngsters excited about reading and promote lifelong literacy. During the five day event from October 5-9 the players visited 14 elementary schools in the city to spend time with hundreds of students and deliver the message that, “reading is the key to success.”

Several Eskimos players took part in this year’s event including Ricky Ray, Patrick Kabongo, Andrew Nowacki, Kevin Challenger, Graeme Bell, Elliot Richardson, Bobby Keyes, Scott Gordon, Calvin Armstrong, Aaron Fiacconi, Kyle Koch, Derek Schiavone, John Comiskey, Greg Whelan and Kamau Peterson.

This was the 20th year for Edmonton’s read In week and the Eskimos have been involved for over ten years.

Other Eskimos community initiatives include, Football 101 and Football 201 for women, Eskimo Basketball and the Eskimo Energy team. For more information visit Esks.com

Calgary Stampeders

One highlight of the Stampeders community involvement for the past four years has been the Timbits Football program in partnership with Tim Hortons. The program is designed to promote fun, learning and a healthy lifestyle for youngsters through football. The kids get a chance to play and meet new friends in a positive environment while learning the sport.

Stamps all-star kicker Sandro DeAngelis is the Calgary Spokesperson for the Timbits Football program. DeAngelis is also joined by several other Stamps players who act as honourary coaches for Timbits games that take place at McMahon Stadium.

“It wasn’t too long ago I was involved in little league football and I want to inspire kids to play the sport I love,” said DeAngelis.

The program places an emphasis on having fun, learning and participation rather than winning and losing. DeAngelis along with his Stampeders teammates also talk with the kids to help instill valuable lessons like teamwork, dedication and confidence.  The participants – between eight and 10 years old – are the equivalent of the atom division in minor football.

The Timbits Program was featured during last Friday’s game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Stampeders are also actively involved in several other community initiatives such as: CUPS Breakfast, Every Yard Counts, First Down for Kids and the Hike for Hospice. For more information visit the Stampeders community page at Stampeders.com

BC Lions

With their Lions in the House and Jr. Lions in the House programs the BC Lions travel to various schools to engage youth and encourage positive skill development that benefit both students and their schools.

The Lions in the House program is a program geared towards older students in grades 8-12. Through the initiative, Lions players travel around to numerous schools and engage students in interactive assemblies with physical activities and motivational speeches.

This year, players such as Lyle Green, Barron Miles, Geroy Simon, Jason Jimenez, Javier Glatt, Dean Valli, Rolly Lumbala, Jerome Dennis and Sherko Haji-Rasouli took part in the program and spoke with students on issues like fitness and nutrition, bullying, continuing education, and maintaining a positive attitude. In 2009, the BC Lions visited 16 secondary schools schools speaking to thousands of students.

2009 was the second year of the Jr. Lions in the House program. The junior program is designed for a younger group of students in grades 4-7. The initiative focuses on the topics of nutrition, physical fitness, and developing a positive attitude. Last year, the Lions visited 32 elementary schools across the Lower Mainland speaking to over 6,400 students as part of the junior program.

Other team initiatives include: Every Yard Counts, Read Write and Roar and Courage for Kids. For more information visit BCLions.com

Click here to read the first part of our series which featured the community initiatives of the Eastern Division Teams.