2 days ago
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Look for the helpers
It's easy these days to get caught in the trap of thinking everything is awful.
But I'm here to assure you, folks, there's still plenty of good happening in the world — even if it sometimes gets buried beneath all the doom and gloom.
The past few days have been a healthy reminder for me.
Let's start with Monday, when I took part in one of my favourite summer events — a charity golf tournament. This one was in support of Manitoba's Cardiac Centre of Excellence at St. Boniface Hospital, which helps tens of thousands of patients every year.
Mother Nature (mostly) cooperated, keeping the forecasted rain (mostly) at bay, and by day's end, $100,000 had been raised — money that will do wonders for the community. It was a vivid reminder of the generous spirit of Manitobans, and it definitely warmed my heart as I played on the Free Press team along with president and CEO Mike Power and vice-president of revenue and business development Michele Prysazniuk.
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On Tuesday morning, I joined about 50 volunteers as they hit the streets of Winnipeg to deliver kindness to those who need it most.
Led by Mitch Bourbonniere and the incredible folks at Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin (OPK), they head out twice a week with much-needed food, water, clothing and personal supplies for dozens of people living on the streets.
This was part of a bigger project I've been working on this summer, with the finished product set to appear next month in the newspaper.
The outing reminded me of a story Fred Rogers — better known as Mr. Rogers — often told about his mother:
'When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.''
Anyone driving down Main Street that morning would have seen the helpers in spades. It was a poignant, powerful display.
And then, earlier today, I found myself back on the golf course — this time to meet a remarkable young man from Minnesota.
Charlie Bristow has built a large following through his Instagram account, Charlie's Golfing Club. Charlie lives with advanced scoliosis and is on the autism spectrum, and he's found comfort in the game of golf, travelling across the United States — and now into Canada — to tee it up.
A Winnipegger named Eugene Hayduk heard about Charlie's journey and invited him and his father to play here. I was asked to round out their foursome.
'Charlie's story inspired me, as I've worked with a number of youth with autism spectrum disorder,' said Hayduk, a social worker.
'I've also endured several surgeries for my stage-four cancer diagnosis, as has Charlie for his scoliosis. Seeing him swing the club, given his challenges, inspired me — so I've been following his journey closely.'
I'm writing a feature story on Charlie and his experience, which you'll find online Friday afternoon and in Saturday's paper. Like Hayduk — and now myself — I hope you, too, will come away inspired.
A few programming notes for the coming weeks:
Next week, I'll have daily tee-to-green coverage of the Manitoba Open, being held this year at Breezy Bend. Talk about a full-circle moment — the last time the course hosted the tournament was in 1993, when I was an 18-year-old caddying in it. Now, 32 years later, I'll be covering it for the Free Press for the eighth time.
Four-time men's amateur champ Braxton Kuntz will start his pro career on his home golf course at the Manitoba Open. (Thomas Friesen / The Brandon Sun files)
I had the chance to sneak in a round at Breezy on Tuesday — yes, I've been doing a LOT of 'work-related' golfing this week — and let me just say the PGA Tour Americas pros are in for a treat. The course is in pristine condition.
One piece of advice to the field of 156, not that they need any from a duffer like me: stay out of the rough. It's already about four inches long, and by the time the 72-hole event begins next Thursday, it'll be closer to five. It can be a beast to escape. I speak from experience — after hacking my way through it all afternoon, my arms and back are still feeling it.
Once a new champion is crowned on Aug. 24, I'll be stepping away from the paper (and this newsletter) for a brief holiday break, returning Sept. 9. When I'm back, I'll be putting the finishing touches on that news project I mentioned earlier before diving head-first into what should be a fascinating season of Winnipeg Jets coverage.
This will be my 10th year on the hockey beat, and it all gets rolling Sept. 17 when training camp officially opens. We've got big plans this year — including taking our NHL coverage all the way to Italy, where I'll be in Milan for the Winter Olympics.
I can't wait.
