RHA Nationals Midget prep players from left : Isaac Poulter , Caydin Cleland and Brayden Clark
grandfather , Sam Rhynard ’ s legacy of making a difference in the community . Sam , who passed away in 2002 , was Jeff ’ s hero and his passing provided the motivation for the creation of Project-ECHO ( ELITE Cooperative Help Organization ). In 2003 , Fisher provided three families with a Christmas that would have made his grandfather proud . Those three hampers have multiplied to more than 500 hampers for nominated families and hundreds of emergency food hampers for Winnipeggers in need at Christmas .
“ Since Jeff created the foundation , Project Echo has provided thousands of Winnipeggers with food , clothing and compassion over the holiday season ,” said Project ECHO co-ordinator Lisa McFarland . “ To date , more than $ 2 million in new clothes , food , and sundries have been provided to Winnipeggers in need .
“ Project Echo has also expanded to other areas , such as bringing yoga to the residents of Cross Lake First
Nation with Boreal Yoga , and this year , we launched the ECHO Adventure Academy that provides outdoor learning adventures for youth in need .
“ And then there is our amazing annual initiative , Sam ’ s Christmas , that takes place in the months leading up to , and during the holiday season . Working with community partners such as Sturgeon Heights Collegiate and the St . James School Division , Project ECHO can identify families who are in need during the holidays . “ It could be a family that looks great from the outside , the kids are in school sports and get their homework done , but a single parent is struggling at home to keep food on the table and make sure they have running shoes to play those sports .”
This year , the RHA Nationals came together to make sure that families in need had a great Holiday season . They purchased gifts and other sundries and put together the huge hampers that were delivered by members of the Rink Hockey Academy staff . “ And these are no ordinary hampers ,” said McFarland . “ We not only ensure that families receive gifts for Christmas , we also make sure they receive items to help them maintain their quality of life . The hampers include perishable and non-perishable food , cleaning supplies such as laundry detergent , toiletries , and clothing for the whole family . In the past , the hampers have been so large they have required a forklift to move them . Some families have been able to get back on their feet after receiving a Sam ’ s Christmas hamper since it removes the stress of the holiday and allows them to focus on taking care of their family .”
That was something that delighted the Nationals players . “ A group of four of us had the responsibility of buying for the mother of the family ,” said Midget Prep forward Brayden Clark . “ So we bought cooking ware for her -- a whole bunch of pots and pans and grocery store gift cards to chip in for the family ’ s grocery bill .
“ It feels great to help the less fortunate and give back to the community . And it was great to get the team together to do some Holiday-season bonding .”
“ Having the RHA Nationals involved was fantastic ,” said McFarland “ It was great to see the players ’ enthusiasm towards Sam ’ s Christmas and helping their community . Each RHA team adopted a family and worked together to purchase and wrap gifts for each family member , and also came up with other ways to make the hamper special , such as adding family games or chocolates . It was obvious the players ’ put careful thought into what makes Christmas special for them and tried to do the same for the family they adopted .”
Project Echo receives new clothing and shoe donations each year that are also put into the hampers . Each RHA team spent time at the Sam ’ s Christmas Warehouse sorting and choosing clothing for the families .
“ I think realizing that some of the kids they were choosing clothing for were the same age as them was an eye opener ,” McFarland added . “ The players took extra care when choosing the clothing and tried hard to match items with things the different family members liked .
“ Project Echo is thankful to see the effort that the RHA puts into giving back to their community and would encourage other teams to do the same . It ’ s great for team-building off the ice .”
There is not one member of the RHA Nationals who would disagree .
“ It was really a lot of fun ,” said Midget Prep goalie Isaac Poulter . “ It was a fun time with the guys and to have the opportunity to support other people was really fun and a great experience for all of us .” ❍
84 | GAME ON | REGULAR SEASON EDITION 2018