Siksika raises $5,000 for skating Sheldon

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National Hockey League star Sheldon Kennedy rollerbladed onto the Siksika Nation led by drummers and flanked by rollerbladers carrying the Canadian and Siksika flags, and a few hours later he rolled off with a few thousand dollars.

On Aug. 26, the Siksika Nation contributed more than $5,000 in donations and souvenir purchases to help the Sheldon Kennedy Skate Across Canada campaign raise money to open a ranch for victims of child abuse.

"It was incredible," Kennedy said of the reception he received. "This is an issue that affects all walks of life in our society and I'm just very happy I was invited out here."

In January of 1997, Kennedy revealed that his junior hockey coach, Graham James, had sexually abused him. Kennedy and his wife Jana have since founded the Sheldon Kennedy Foundation to raise awareness of child abuse.

"It takes a lot of courage to admit something that has happened to you personally," said Clifford Many Heads, Siksika's Child Welfare Department Manager. "It's a worthwhile cause."

Many Heads said he hopes that Kennedy's visit will inspire victims to seek help in dealing with their experiences.

The slogan for Kennedy's rollerblade journey is, "Are We There Yet," and while he has traveled a long way - 6,500 kilometres in a few months - he isn't quite there yet. He still has 2,800 kilometres of rollerblading to go before reaching his Vancouver destination.