An Evening at the
Governor's Residence
with First Lady Jeannie Ritter
"One Great House to Another"
Special Speaker: Sheldon Kennedy
was held on September 24, 2009.
Thank you for your support.
Second annual event - a special evening with program, cocktails and hors d' oeuvres to benefit Ralston House
Generously underwritten by FirstBank
Special Speaker: Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy skated for three teams in his eight-year NHL career (Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings) and played for Canada's gold-medal winning team in the 1988 World Junior Hockey Championship. He was Captain of the Memorial Cup winning Swift Current Broncos in 1989.
He is well known for his courageous decision to charge his Major Junior Hockey league coach with sexual assault for the abuse he suffered over a five-year period while a teenager under his care. Sheldon's subsequent decision to go public with the charges brought these issues to the social forefront. Sheldon has become an unofficial spokesperson for millions of abuse survivors around the world. His life story was made into an award-winning television movie and he has appeared on Oprah, ABC's Nightline, W-5, The Fifth Estate and was nominated as Peter Jennings' Man of the Week.
After retiring from the NHL, Sheldon in-line skated across Canada to raise awareness of abuse issues. In 2006, Sheldon wrote, Why I Didn't Say Anything, a riveting account of the many psychological impacts of abuse. Sheldon's personal experience and continued work "in the trenches" has led to his passion to make change. Having transformed a negative situation into proactive programming, he continues to carry his message through Respect Group Inc., the company he co-founded. Respect Group Inc. provides empowering on-line education for the prevention of abuse, bullying and harassment in sports, schools and the workplace.
Sheldon Kennedy and Joe Sakic
Teammates and Good Friends
"Sakic grew up quickly on a gray and snowy December 30, 1986, on an old bus taking him and his Swift Current Broncos to Regina, Saskatchewan, for a Western Hockey League game.
No one paid much attention to the weather, because it was typical of the travels for these teenage boys playing junior hockey in western Canada. As a result, the day started out lighthearted. Soon, however, the tone changed drastically.
Sakic was seated in the front of the bus with teammate Sheldon Kennedy. As the driver lost control of the bus and it slid toward a railway overpass, he yelled, 'Hold on!'
The bus skidded off the end of the overpass, scattered sign posts and hurtled into the air before crashing onto a side road. The driver went through the windshield, and the bus toppled onto its side.
'After everything seemed secure, we started to file one-by-one through the windshield--not knowing what had happened at the other end of the bus,' Sakic says.
Teammates Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Brent Ruff and Chris Mantyka were playing cards in the back when the bus crashed. Ruff and Mantyka, were thrown from the bus and pinned underneath it. Before the players found out about the condition of their teammates, many were rushed to the hospital. It was there they learned all four had died.
Those close to the scene say Sakic became the team's true leader for the rest of the season. It was an emotional time; the Broncos were given a standing ovation in each rink they played in after the accident. Additional off-ice troubles made Sakic's leadership even more necessary. Graham James, the Broncos' coach at the time of the crash, later was convicted of sexually abusing two of his players."
--The Sporting News, Jan. 14, 2002, Larry Wigge
