Saskatchewan Roughriders players brought excitement to St. Alphonsus School today, delivering presentations from two key off-season programs aimed at promoting literacy and mental health awareness. The visit was part of the team’s ongoing community engagement efforts, including the Rider Reading program for younger students and the Win With Wellness initiative for older students.
The Rider Reading program engaged younger students in discussions about literacy, while the Win With Wellness program focused on mental health strategies, teaching older students how to cope with feelings of anxiety and stress. Cristo expressed his enthusiasm for the programs, which the school applied for after discovering them on the Roughriders’ website.
Offensive lineman Peter Godber, who has been involved in these initiatives for two years, emphasized the importance of the programs in making a positive community impact, aligning with school curricula. He stressed the importance of literacy, particularly in a province with some of Canada’s lowest literacy rates.
Defensive lineman Charbel Dabire, participating in the program for the first time, reflected on how the mental health lessons were especially meaningful to him, drawing from his own experiences as an athlete.
For more details on these programs, visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ website.