Project First Goal

For the third consecutive year the Regina Pats Hockey Club has partnered with the Regina City Police and the RCMP to educate students on substance abuse through the program “Project First Goal”. Our goal is to raise awareness in Regina schools about the effects of drug use.

Players from the Regina Pats, and members of the RCMP and the Regina City Police have volunteered once again to participate in presentations at various schools in and around the Regina area. Last year we were able to visit 16 Regina Elementary Schools and educate nearly 1000 students on substance abuse.

To increase their substance abuse knowledge, five Regina Pats players were escorted by the RCMP and the Regina City Police to Vancouver where they observed first hand the different effects that these substances have on individuals.

The Players will make approximately 10 - 15 school appearances over several months, speaking to students in grades 6 & 7 about what they experienced. The students will be shown a video and have the opportunity to ask the Players and members of the RCMP and the Regina City Police any questions they may have.

   
 Hastings Street, a six block radius in Downtown      ODD SQUAD has teamed up with the WHL in
    Vancouver. Home to thousands of homless        order to continue to deliver the best information
                and drug addicted people                         available, regarding the perils of Drug and
                                                                                                       Alcohol abuse         
  The Players stop and talk to a drug addict in        Linden Rowat, Brett Leffler, Nick Ross, Matt
                            the Skids                                    Delahey and Kirt Hill pose for a picture in the
                                                                                              heart of East Hastings

    Players walk the alleys of East Hastings                Players stop to take a photo with Nicola, a
                                                                            prisoner of East Hastings whom was a recovering
                                                                             drug addict and relapsed only to find herself on
                                                                                                  the streets again.

For further details on this program, please contact Kim Flaman @ 522-5604 or email kflaman@reginapats.com

We would like to give a special 'Thanks' to our sponsors who have once again made this program possible: Regina Leader Post, Canadian Tire, Crestview Chrysler, Brewsters Brewing Co., Conexus Credit Union, Old Dutch Foods, The Co-operators, Signature Smiles, Coca-Cola and Francois Maisonneuve with Sutton Group Realty.

On March 8, 2008 Cpl. Rene Shank presented Linden Rowat, Matt Delahey, Ryan Bender, Brett Leffer & Kirt Hill with The Commanding Officer's Certificate of Appreciation for their involvement with Project First Goal.

The students at each school we visited had the opportunity to win a Regina Pats Team Autographed Jersey. We asked each student who wanted to participate, to write a one page essay explaining what they learned from our presentaiton and how they feel it will effect their lives. Once all of the essays were completed, we chose one lucky student and awarded them with a team autographed jersey. Tiffany Strachan, a student from St. Josaphat School was the lucky winner with her essay shown below.

"One shot and you're hooked" a quote from Randy Miller that taught me so much. I am in Grade 8, and before this presentation if you would of told me that there is a place like the "skids" in Canada, I wouldn't of believed you.

I thought it was great how the players that came to our school actually went to the "skids" and experienced first hand what it is like. They taught me that drug addicts aren't bad people, they are people struggling with a bad choice. I learn't a lot during the hour that they were here, everything from the places on their body where they shoot up on heroin, to finding out that crack can only keep you high for about 10 minutes. The video they showed us was so powerful I couldn't take my eyes off of it. When it got to the point when the addicted people, the suppossed bad people, are almost begging us to stay away from drugs, becasue they themselves are miserable, it really made me think of what I want to be able to do with my life. Shooting up on heroin and not caring that a camera is filming you is something I don't want to be doing in 5 years.

It was also really interesting how they told us about what happens in Vancouver, but also how the drug operation works in Saskatchewan. Brett Leffler told us an interesting story about how in his home town in Wynyardm SK., there was a house busted for growing meth and is now abandoned. That really started to make me think drugs aren't just something I have to worry about in Vancouver, I have to worry about them here to.

I think this program is one of the most educational experiences I've ever had. We are always told from our teachers to stay away from any type of drug but when a person getting ready for their next high is telling you how horrible it is the message takes on a whole new meaning. Brett Leffler was telling a story about this one girl he met down in Vancouver and when he said "who knows if she is still alive" it made me think how much it would hurt my mom or friends to say that about me. Drugs aren't cool, stay in school.