Partnership results in sports equipment for community

Horse Lake is one of many First Nations that are benefitting from the distribution of free sports equipment from an Edmonton-based organization.

The Horse Lake First Nation received hockey equipment valued at more than $100,000 on Oct. 8 thanks to a partnership with Sport Central.

Sport Central, a volunteer-run organization that has been around for 23 years, has primarily helped to outfit Edmonton children with various sports equipment. But in recent years it has expanded to deliver equipment to youth in northern Alberta and parts of the Northwest Territories.

Darwin Eckstrom, the chief administrative officer of Horse Lake First Nation, says the fact youth in his community now have access to the hockey equipment is indeed a huge deal.

“If you’re playing sports, you’re not going to be out doing other bad things,” he said. “I think you should focus on the value of the kids participating instead of the dollar value of the equipment.”

Eckstrom says Horse Lake First Nation received more equipment than it needed and has already given some away to neighbouring communities.

The hockey players will not be keeping their equipment, says Eckstrom, pointing out that rapidly growing children makes it necessary to refit children with proper-sized equipment.

“We want to keep re-introducing it and recycling the equipment,” he said. “It will be gently used equipment.”

Earlier in the year Horse Lake First Nation also received lacrosse equipment through Sport Central to outfit three teams.

The sports equipment deals resulted in part because Eckstrom, a former school superintendent, is a board member of Alberta’s Promise. This is an initiative from the provincial government that in part helps match business, non-profit and community partners with the needs of youth and their families.

Besides the lacrosse and hockey equipment it has already received, there’s also a good chance the Horse Lake First Nation will receive a shipment of bicycles this coming spring.

Sheldon Oleksyn, Sport Central’s executive director, said his group often ships out more equipment than is currently required. This is done because of the varying sizes of equipment and Sport Central officials do not have exact sizing of the children involved.

“We send up a bunch of different equipment in different sizes and they end up storing the excess equipment,” Oleksyn said. “You actually end up with more equipment than you’re going to use (right away).”

Oleksyn adds finding people to properly distribute and manage the equipment can be trying.

“The challenge is having boots on the ground to co-ordinate this,” he said. “Sometimes that’s our biggest challenge, finding someone who will say ‘I will manage this from our end.’”

Other Aboriginal communities that have already received sports equipment shipments courtesy of Sport Central include Calling Lake, Kikino, Wabasca and Lac La Biche.

Also, Maskwacis is expected to receive a massive shipment in November. This shipment will include hockey equipment and golf clubs as well as basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls.