We arrive in Kashechewan late on Tuesday night and honoured by Chief Solomon greeting us at the airport.
We are staying at the Nurses station in town. Very warm and welcoming accommodations. We settled in and then off to the Band office to met some of the Band council and to share some dinner made for us by the students cooking class at the local school. Yet again, humble, wonderful warm people. Beautiful faces looking on at us with a hint of shyness. Thank God Sami is with us. Instantly they gravitate to her. She’s a celebrity with great warmth and her celebrity status all due to her extraordinary accomplishments with sports. It is an instant barrier breaker and a common ground for the children to engage and connect, after all she plays hockey and so do they..... At least they’d like to. Its strange we all know the benefits of sports and recreation -- we talk about the social benefits. It is so obvious when you see it right infront of you. The children stood and sat taller as they talked about their hockey accomplishments. I got the sense that in their minds they were doing the "if she can I can game"...... and so they should... its exactly what Sami's message is about and why Jumpstart cares!
We are invited to a local talent show one of many celebrations for Addiction week. A week dedicated to help the children understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. What a great week to be here and present, share and inform the community about Canadian Tire Jumpstart.
What was amazing to me as I look around the gym was the amount of children. Easily tonight children outnumbered adults by 3 to 1 – if not more. We were told that 50% of the population in Kash are under the age of 20.
Tomorrow will be another day filled with meetings –but for tonight its dance off’s, sing off’s and battle of the bands.... oh ya and a swarm around Sami for autographs.
see you tomorrow .... Freida
