The Prince Albert Raiders Hockey Club are working with the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to raise money. (Prince Albert Raiders/Twitter)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Sports and Reconciliation

P.A. Raiders set to team up with Downie, Wenjack Fund

Sep 26, 2019 | 5:01 PM

The Prince Albert Raiders are teaming up with a national organization to promote reconciliation.

This Saturday when the Raiders host the Winnipeg Ice, the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund will be selling merchandise to raise money to help support their work, which focuses on promoting and bringing people together in the spirit of national reconciliation. Besides the money from the sale of merchandise, funds from the jersey auction will go to support the Downie, Wenjack Fund.

Raiders Business Manager Michael Scissons said it is the perfect time for the team to play host to the organization.

“I know that Orange Shirt Day is on the 30th and the Downie, Wenjack foundation [is] raising awareness on residential schools and reconciliation, I think all of it kind of goes hand in hand for the game we’re going to have here on the 28th,” he said.

Scissons explained the Downie, Wenjack group approached him about working together, which led to him referring them to the Western Hockey League office. This led to the Downie and Wenjack Fund reaching an agreement with the league to work together.

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The team business manager said they feel it is important to support the work the fund is looking to do in part because of the community they are in. The team has gone through education programs, which have focused on First Nation’s culture and the history of residential schools. Scissons said overall working towards reconciliation is something everyone should have an interest in.

“I think it is something that resonates through all of society,” he said.

Audra Santa, manager of strategy and partnerships with the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund said they want to work with the Raiders and the WHL so they can reach more people and raise awareness about the work they are doing in regards to education and bring people together.

“We’re looking at ways of bringing more awareness to this work and to the organization,” she said.

Santa added it also makes sense to work with the WHL and the Raiders considering how important hockey was to the late Gord Downie. She added sports can also be a great venue to bring together different groups of people, especially younger people and they hope to work with the team and the league well into the future.

“It’s a really powerful place that we can start to have this conversation and continue the messaging,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn