It was over 36 hours and 2,600 km for two Saskatchewan Roughriders traveling across northern Saskatchewan this week.
Fullback Neal Hughes and offensive lineman Dan Clark started their journey in Saskatoon and travelled to Pelican Narrows, Southend, Stony Rapids and Black Lake before finishing their trip on Thursday.
The two Riders have been sharing a message of anti-bullying with the youth in these communities.
The presentation they shared was a program from the Canadian Red Cross called “Beyond the Hurt”, which helps prevent bullying and harassment in schools.
During the presentation, both Hughes and Clark shared their own personal experiences with bullying.
“I appreciated the vulnerability that they showed,” said Shawn Morris, principal at the Stony Rapids School. “They talked about how they have been in situations where they have been bullied or have been the bully. They weren’t coming up and saying they were perfect, they were actually sympathizing with the kids and saying ‘This is something I have done in the past and I want to move away from and you have the power to do that’.”
Morris said it meant a lot for the Riders to come all the way up to Stony Rapids.
“One of the things in the north that we have as a barrier is how far we are,” said Morris. “So when we have groups who are willing to come up it really means a lot to us.”
The principal’s sentiments were echoed by student Hunter Martin.
Hunter says he appreciated the message and that sometimes in a small school it is hard to get away from bullying.
“It’s very easy to get tied up around it and it is hard to get away from it,” said the 15-year-old. “You go to school every day and it’s hard.”
Hunter says he felt privileged by how far Hughes and Clark travelled to give them the presentation.
Both students and teachers alike expressed their appreciation to the Riders, the Canadian Red Cross and Cameco for making these presentations possible.
A spokesperson for Cameco says these trips allow them a chance to make a difference for the youth in northern Saskatchewan.