Roughrider Foundation’s success is “a dream come true”

The foundation for the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation was established shortly after Craig Reynolds joined the organization in 2009.

“In the first Board meeting, somebody raised the idea,” recalls the Roughriders’ President-CEO, who was initially the CFL team’s Chief Financial Officer.

The idea marinated as plans were made for a new stadium, the monumental move from one venue to the other, and the expanded opportunities that would be presented by a state-of-the-art home of the Roughriders.

“As we got into 2017 and 2018, we started looking at what’s next strategically,” Reynolds says.

“We wanted to grow the game of football.”

Mission accomplished.

During the 2024-25 off-season, the Foundation has donated $1.8 million — $600,000 more than the previous peak total, from 2023-24 — to amateur football in Saskatchewan. (To donate to the Foundation, click HERE.)

Net revenue from the sale of 50/50 tickets leading up to and during every Roughriders game, with the integral involvement of presenting sponsor ISC, facilitated the $1.8 million in contributions.

“A total of $1.8 million is incredible in this province of Saskatchewan,” Foundation Executive Director Cindy Fuchs marvels. “That’s more than our population, so a lot of people support amateur football out of our 50/50.”

In early April, the Foundation presented Football Saskatchewan with a cheque for $590,000. From that amount, $430,000 is earmarked for the purchase of 1,000 new helmets that will be distributed to and worn by young players throughout the province.

“We know it will have a big impact,” Fuchs says. “The coaches are over the moon.”

Along with Football Saskatchewan, the lengthy list of beneficiaries includes KidSport, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, University of Regina Rams, Saskatoon Hilltops, Regina Thunder, Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot.

Amateur football is one of the Foundation’s three pillars, along with health and education.

Hence the emphasis on programs supporting literacy (Rider Reading), mental health (Win With Wellness) and grassroots football (Grow The Game).

Grow the Game promotes football and its benefits while introducing Indigenous youth and new Canadians to the sport.

Foundation player ambassadors delivered 283 Win With Wellness presentations and led 640 Rider Reading sessions over the off-season.

The list of player ambassadors this past off-season consisted of Albert Awachie, Shawn Bane Jr., Jacob Brammer, Charbel Dabire, Logan Ferland, Peter Godber, Jorgen Hus, Micah Johnson, Brett Lauther, Mitch Picton, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Noah Zerr. (Godber worked with the Foundation before signing with the Ottawa REDBLACKS as a free agent in February.)

Collectively, those players visited 132 schools across Saskatchewan and reached 30,000 youth.

Along the way, 2,300 books have been distributed to kindergarten students in Saskatchewan.

All of that was part of the blueprint that was formulated leading up to the establishment of the Foundation.

“We wanted to do more in the community, because we think that’s our responsibility in many ways,” Reynolds says.

“We were very, very lucky to hire Cindy Fuchs as our first Executive Director. What she has done to grow the Foundation in just over five years is really incredible.”

Before joining the Foundation, Fuchs spent 35 years at the Red Cross. She was the Vice-President of Saskatchewan for the final 12 years.

In the latter capacity, she collaborated with the Roughriders on the Imagine No Bullying campaign.

So it was a seamless transition when she joined the football team to lead its formalized charitable component.

“I remember Cindy asking me a very simple question at the time: ‘Why are the Roughriders creating a foundation in the first place?’ ” Reynolds says. “The answer was that we wanted to do more.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve done historically in the community as a Club, supporting amateur football, health and education, but we wanted to do more. We wanted to give back more.

“We thought, ‘What opportunities could we unlock if we had a charitable foundation?’ We thought about the ability to fundraise … and fundraise more.

“This is what we always thought about: ‘Could we raise more money and then give that money out, supporting our pillars?’ ”

The answer is emphatically affirmative.

“As the Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation,” Fuchs says, “to have incredible support from fans, the community and the football club in order to reach kids throughout Saskatchewan in amateur football, literacy and mental health is a dream come true.”