SaskEnergy continues to provide a pipeline of support to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The most recent link between the community-owned team and a long-standing partner was celebrated on Thursday, when SaskEnergy announced its involvement with the CFL’s 2025 regular-season opener.
SaskEnergy is marking the 25th anniversary of its Champion of Volunteers program by formalizing an association with the Rider Squad.
As well, SaskEnergy will be the presenting partner for the Roughriders’ June 5 home opener against the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
“Volunteering is part of the province’s DNA and I think it’s part of our DNA with the Roughriders as well,” Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds said during a Thursday morning event at SaskEnergy Place. “That’s why this partnership with SaskEnergy makes so much sense.
“As the Champion of Volunteers, SaskEnergy at its core shares the same values as our fan base, as our province and certainly as the Saskatchewan Roughriders. We are proud to have them officially join Rider Nation in this way.”
The Roughriders/SaskEnergy association actually dates back further than 25 years.
In 1998, for example, SaskEnergy’s Catch for Kids (later Catch for KidSport) initiative was launched to help make organized sports accessible to youngsters of all ages and backgrounds.
Catch for Kids’ founding player ambassador, Don Narcisse, established the template for an ensuing alliance with other Roughriders stars, such as Henry Burris, Paul McCallum, Kerry Joseph and Darian Durant.
“There was a calendar we always did, and Catch for Kids,” recalled Derrick Mann, SaskEnergy’s Executive Vice-President of Infrastructure Delivery and Reliability, who joined the Crown Corporation in 2001.
“Right from Day 1 of working here, there was always that tie that I remember.”
Such is the nature of Saskatchewan, which leads the nation in per-capita volunteerism.
That spirit has long been demonstrated and celebrated by Rob Harrison, the Roughriders’ Volunteer and Guest Experience Manager.
“I can’t remember the last event I did that SaskEnergy was not a part of,” Harrison said.
“That’s a really great testament to the commitment to the community that SaskEnergy brings. Saskatchewan would not be Saskatchewan without volunteerism.”
Consider, too, that the Roughriders would not exist without selfless people who give of their time while lending their passion and expertise.
“Volunteers started this franchise,” Reynolds noted. “They led this franchise directly for decades. Even today, we’re governed by an extremely dedicated group of volunteers (who serve on the Board of Directors). And, of course, we have the most dedicated group of volunteers on Planet Earth — the Rider Squad.
“Quite simply, we could not run a game without the Rider Squad. They are a vital part of our game day. Their smiling faces greet our fans. They scan them into the stadium, they solve lots of problems, and they set the tone of the welcoming atmosphere that our fans have come to expect.”
They are the 200-some people who provide cheerful assistance to fans every time the Roughriders play at Mosaic Stadium.
“Volunteering in general — and not just with the Rider Squad — is a great way to contribute to the community,” Harrison said. “It’s a great way to give back to things that mean something to you.
“We’re fortunate with the Rider Squad. We have amazing fans who use it as an opportunity to give a little bit more to the team than the financial contribution of a ticket — which, of course, is important as well.”
The importance of the Rider Squad/SaskEnergy was underlined on Thursday morning.
“It gives us an opportunity to enhance recognition programs for the volunteers,” Harrison said. “They’re all giving their time and heart for whatever the cause is — whether it’s the Rider Squad or another organization.
“Being able to provide them with some form of award is really important, whether it’s verbal recognition, a certificate or whatever form that takes. (The new partnership) really helps us to facilitate some of those things.
“It’s also a sense of pride. When you can say that you are tied to an organization like SaskEnergy, which has demonstrated such a commitment to volunteerism, it creates a sense of pride as well.”
Rider Pride is also a key component of the equation.
“We have a huge amount of Rider fans here at SaskEnergy,” Mann said. “Being able to be part of the home opener — and, actually, part of every home game this season, supporting the volunteers — is huge.
“We’ll have lots of people in the stands. We have people who work here who are part of the Rider Squad and volunteer their time and effort. Supporting that, it’s just amazing to watch.
“As a kid who grew up in Saskatchewan, seeing the Riders ever since I was a little kid, one of my first memories is actually of Gainer and Roger Aldag at a wild animal park while they were doing a promotion.
“I think it’s the same for a lot of our staff. Keeping that tie to the Riders and to volunteerism is awesome.”
