A kick-off event was held Thursday at the PAGC Urban Services building. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Supporting community

Let the games begin!

Dec 15, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The first annual Hunger Games are scheduled to take place in Prince Albert next week.

The friendly, yet competitive, contest will involve local cadets, police officers, fire fighters and paramedics. Each group is also collecting food and donations for the Prince Albert food bank.

Ric Sanderson, Director of Justice for the Prince Albert Grand Council’s Justice Unit, told paNOW the cadets are very excited about it.

“Part of their programming is they have to give back to the community. It’s called a community involvement award,” he said, adding the cadets have been busy over the past weeks helping pack food hampers and also attending pow wows. Their reward in turn is the opportunity to go on trips such as paint ball.

In 1996, Sanderson, a former RCMP officer, started a cadet program called the First Nations Cadet Corps . He is presently instructing Red Earth, Sturgeon Lake and PAGC Cadets. The games were intially created as as a way to bring cadets and cops together to have some fun competitions to build up relations.

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“Basically it’s something to keep them focused,” Sanderson said. “One of our sayings in the cadet program is point to your star and we will show you the way.”

Sanderson then noted he’s seen cadets go on to become lawyers and even a Chief of their own reserve.

Some of the games’ partipants pose for a quick picture. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

To the victor will go the spoils. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The games take place on the night of Dec. 20 at the PAGC Urban Services Centre and will run for three hours. The challenges will include volleyball, dodgeball, a blindman race, and a basketball relay. Braden Roberts, 15, is from Sturgeon Lake and has been involved with cadets for four years. Acknowledging his experience will look good on a resume, he added how he’s noticed a lot of positive change within himself.

“I feel a lot more disciplined and catch myself doing stuff at home that I would do here,” he said.

Lyle Karasiuk, a spokesperson for Parkland Ambulance, said their members are equally excited to be a part of the Hunger Games event.

“We only need to go shopping at any grocery store to see that things cost more. For some folks, those added costs really hurt, making support from the food bank essential. Our team is ready to have a fun evening with other partners, to raise dollars for our local food bank,” he said.

At the end of the event, a Christmas Spirit award will be presented to the group that raises the most funds to purchase hampers for the food bank. A special trophy will als be presented to the winning team.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell