Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation highlights impact with ‘Stories from the Heartland’

École Wilfrid Walker Rider Reading and Win With Wellness visit with Dhel Duncan-Busby and Albert Awachie. École Wilfrid Walker School Visit. March 25, 2026. (Courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation)

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation is highlighting the widespread impact it made in 2025-26 to youth education, mental health and amateur football across the province.

Through its ‘Stories from the Heartland,’ the foundation provided insight into the initiatives reaching Saskatchewan youth in schools and athletics programs.

“It’s celebrating all the community work the Rider foundation was able to do with all the support from around the province,” Cindy Fuchs, executive director of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Foundation, said at an event Thursday.

With initiatives such as the ‘Rider Reading Program.’ ‘Win With Wellness’ and ‘Equipping the Heartland.’ the foundation travelled 26,664 km to 181 schools to reach 45,719 Saskatchewan students this past year.

The foundation also invested over $3.3 million into amateur football programs across the province. Another $5 million-plus was provided through grants and programming support.

Fuchs says she could never have dreamed of the impact the foundation is making.

“This province has a lot of great football happening at all levels, amateur football,” she added.

“But there’s lots of barriers, and the Rider Foundation could be a big part of helping remove those barriers. Introduce the game to grassroots kids so everybody has a chance to play.”

The Roughrider Foundation’s ‘Grow the Game’ program also had a landmark year, reaching more than 2,000 youth through over 50 camps across Saskatchewan, including more than 400 Indigenous youth and 250 newcomers to Canada.

A school pilot project brought football directly into classrooms, reaching more than 1,000 students through 40 sessions province-wide.

Roughrider players often visit schools to read to youth and give presentations about their own mental health journeys.

It’s a program close to Rick and Debbie West’s hearts, as their son, Lincoln, died in June 2024 at just 17 years old.

Debbie and Rick say he struggled with mental health but was reluctant to seek help.

In honour of their son, the West’s launched the ‘Lincoln’s Life Mattered Foundation’ as a way to raise awareness for the struggles many youth face.

“We know 17-year-old Lincoln would be angry with us for sharing his story,” Rick said during a presentation. “However, we also know 30-year-old Lincoln would be very proud.”

“We can speak openly about mental health, reduce the shame around struggling and remind one another asking for help is not a weakness,” added Debbie.

• Sask. parents raising awareness for youth mental health after teenage son’s death

The Roughrider Foundation knows the importance, particularly for young boys, for athletes to share their stories to youth.

“I say to the players every time I see them in the morning before they go to school, you don’t know today, if you’re going to impact a life and help a child make a difference decision,” Fuchs said.

“We’ll never be able to count it, but know you will absolutely make an impact on a kid’s life here in this province.”

The impact is felt just as strongly in the players after each experience.

“They get to share their mental health stories and their mental wellness stories with kids, and it reminds them of what they’ve overcome as well,” Fuchs added.

The foundation hopes to prove a football team can make a difference, not just in sport.

“[We’re] a football team with a charitable arm, of course we’re going to give back to football,” Fuchs said.

“But the mental health and the literacy piece, the kids know, the teachers know, but we’re not your parents. That’s our next [goal,] how do we make sure parents understand what we’re actually helping do in the schools?”

The Canadian Football League has awarded the ‘Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy’ the last four years to a Saskatchewan Roughriders’ player.

Logan Ferland was most recently honoured with the award, which he credited the foundation and its work for.

The full impact report is available HERE.