Rita Houle awards bring out the family's support

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Nothing brings out extended families and friends like an awards night, and on Friday, May 14, the crowd that attended the 19th Annual Rita Houle Memorial Banquet was a good example.

At the Jasper Place Legion in Edmonton, enthusiastic applause greeted Jonathan Wright, of Sucker Creek First Nation, and Candace McMaster, of Siksika First Nation, when they were named Athletes of the Year.

For almost twenty years, the Rita Houle Memorial Award program pays honor to the young athlete who ran a five-minute mile, but lost her life to cancer before she could live out her dream. Her dream was to compete in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

The award inspires all young Aboriginal athletes to strive for excellence. As guest speaker for the awards ceremony, Jed Roberts, member of the Edmonton Eskimos football club, put it, "Rita Houle may have lost the battle with cancer, but she gave us something to believe in."

"Aboriginal kids are amazingly resourceful; Aboriginal kids are the best athletes in the world. They can do anything." Roberts said. Gordon Russell, who was Houle's coach, spoke about her contribution and the privilege of working with her. He also said that next year, the 20th anniversary of the award, will also be the last year it will be given.

The awards traditionally have included two trophies and cash prizes, one for a female athlete and one for a male. They are awarded not only for excellence in sports, but also to acknowledge academic standing and volunteer contributions to their communities. These activities were also part of Houle's legacy.

Candace McMaster, representing the Siksika First Nation, received the female award. Through her 20 years, McMaster has excelled in various sports, beginning with first place finishes in 400m and 800m in several levels of track meets when she was in grades seven and eight and going on to cross-country competition, basketball and volleyball.

McMaster's most consistent success is in basketball. She has played with the Siksika Nation Community Team in tournaments throughout Canada and the United States; the Alberta Shooting Stars Basketball Team, traveling with it to tournaments in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona; the Mount Royal College Cougars Ladies Basketball team, which won the silver medal in the Canadian College Basketball Championships.

While with the Cougars, McMaster received the All Conference All-Star award for two consecutive years. When she starts her kinesiology program at the University of Calgary in September, she will play on the university's women's basketball team.

McMaster has also won citizenship awards and academic awards from Samuel Crowther School and the Siksika Board of Education. She has been part of student leadership committees and the Youth Chief and Council for the Siksika Nation. Her volunteer activities have also included 4-H cleanup campaigns and coaching youngsters in her community.

Jonathan Wright of Sucker Creek has also competed internationally, at the Pan-American Indigenous Games. His sports are track and field and tae kwon do. In 1998, he won the 'Warrior Award' for the youth category of the Golden Eagle Awards.

"The community has been very proud of Jonathan each time he represented the reserve in sporting events. Jonathan has also contributed numerous volunteer hours in and around our First Nation, with the youth and our Elders. He is the type of individual that can be relied on for volunteering without expecting anything in return," said Raymond Willier, Chief of the Sucker Creek First Nation.

Because he is presently on a student exchange visit to France, Jonathan Wright wasn't able to accept his Rita Houle trophy in person. However, his team-mates from Sucker Creek were happy to do so on his behalf. Sucker Creek had nominated several young people for the awards.

A few parents had extra reasons to glow with pride. Destiny Whitney of T'ssu T'ina made special mention of her mother, Alicia Whitney, and her granmother Patricia.

"You can do whatever you set your heart and your mind to," she said. Lynette Potts, of Hobbema, who names about a dozen sports as favorites, also acknowledged the role that her parents have played in her success.