Visiting the Turvey Centre — the site of many a Saskatchewan Roughriders pep rally, back in the day — my immediate priority was to find somewhere to sit.
Presuming that nobody would want to hear my tacky jokes or scroll through all 83,942 iPhone photos of my dog, I searched for an empty table at the Roughriders’ annual volunteer appreciation dinner on Sunday.
Then I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and saw, for the first time in a few years, Bonnie Thomas.
A member of the Rider Squad, Bonnie’s volunteer spirit was also celebrated during the 40 years in which she donated her time to the Regina Pats.
One fine evening at the Brandt Centre, I met Bonnie while she was selling 50-50 tickets. We started talking about our mothers (Jean Thomas and G. Helen Vanstone-Mather) and, before you know it, it was like chatting with a long-time friend.
Shortly after that first conversation with Bonnie, I was gifted with a dozen of the most succulent cinnamon buns you will ever taste, courtesy of Jean Thomas.
Upon crossing paths with Bonnie at the Turvey Centre, she reminded me of the cinnamon buns — I Hoovered them all, without sharing — and invited me to sit at her table.
I was raised too well to refuse.
Before too long, I was shamelessly showing photos of Candy (“isn’t she adorrrrrrrrrable?!”) to Bonnie and six other all-star members of the Rider Squad — Debbie Corkish, Darla LaChance, John Mulready, Michael Lam, Blaine Nestegard and James Katryniuk.
“James was the one who got me into volunteering with the Roughriders,” noted Bonnie, who is entering her fourth season on the Rider Squad.
“I love it. The people are fantastic. We’re all like family.”
The Rider Squad family, consisting of nearly 200 members, was fed and feted by the football team on Sunday.
“Tonight is about thanking all of you for all you do for us, not only on game days but year-round,” President-CEO Craig Reynolds said. “It means the world to us.
“We literally could not put on a game day without all of you. It would be impossible for us as a football team.”
The volunteers perform sundry tasks on game days at Mosaic Stadium. The involvement extends to conducting stadium tours, helping out on Fan Day, and even inserting batteries in several thousand pairs of light-up sunglasses leading up to the annual Lights Out game.
“The Rider Squad really makes everything tick,” Chief Financial Officer Kent Paul told the gathering. “Volunteers are the heartbeat of our game days.
“Last year, we put 217,000 fans through the gates. You helped all of them in one way or another.”
Generous helpings of roast beef, cabbage rolls and mashed potatoes were served to members of the Rider Squad as a gesture of appreciation.
And let’s not forget the prizes!
For amassing nearly 200 volunteer hours in 2023, Ron Jones received a game ball from General Manager and Vice-President of Football Operations Jeremy O’Day.
As well, footballs autographed by members of the 2013 Grey Cup championship team were presented to Katryniuk, Lovella Jones, Yvonne Harrison and Carol Marwick to acknowledge their 100-plus hours of volunteering in 2023.
The 2013 Roughriders were represented on Sunday by Dan Clark (a Roughriders offensive lineman from 2012 to 2022) and Steve Mazurak (who was the team’s Vice-President, Sales and Partnerships, during the most-recent championship season).
Clark, Mazurak (who was the Roughriders’ No. 70 from 1973 to 1980) and receiver Mitch Picton (the current No. 81) were the player participants on Sunday, when the community-owned organization was also represented by Reynolds, Paul, O’Day, Anthony Partipilo (Chief Brand Officer), Jenn Senger (Director, Ticket Operations and Sales), Jacqueline Hurlbert (Director, Marketing and Fan Engagement), Josh Shaw (Manager, Operations and Facilities), Kevin Flood (Retail Store Manager, Mosaic Stadium) and, of course, Rob Harrison (Volunteer and Guest Experience Manager).
“Rob knows every volunteer,” Katryniuk said. “He recognizes everyone by name.”
That was verified after dinner had been devoured and the prizes had been distributed.
Once master of ceremonies Mark Johnston wished everyone a pleasant evening, members of the Rider Squad began trickling toward the exit.
Harrison strategically positioned himself in the lobby so he could offer sincere thanks, one more time, to each of the volunteers as they left the Turvey Centre.
“It’s important to let everyone know how much we appreciate them,” said Harrison, who noted that the application process will soon begin for the 2024 Rider Squad.
“More than 100 years ago, we started out as a volunteer-based organization. This is really just a continuation of that.”
