MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Warriors’ “Read to Succeed” program inspires elementary school students by promoting the importance of literacy, education, and lifelong learning. Throughout the regular hockey season, players visit schools in both the Prairie South and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division to serve as positive role models in the classroom.
In a recent outing, four Moose Jaw Warriors visited St. Michael School on the afternoon of Nov. 28, including forwards Ethan Semeniuk and Deegan Kinniburgh, defender Brady Ness, and goalie Josh Banini.
“Throughout the course of the year, the organization will head out to as many schools as we can in the city, read to the kids, talk about the importance of education, and answer questions,” announced James Gallo, the Moose Jaw Warriors’ director of hockey administration.
“Sometimes they end up in the gym playing games, but… the team really has it as a priority to get out to the schools in the city of Moose Jaw to try and see as many young fans as they can.”
These school visits are part of the club’s Read to Succeed program and typically involve four players who arrive in the afternoon to accommodate their practice schedule. Once at the school, these players split into two groups with each group visiting two or three classrooms.
The program’s intended audience is students from kindergarten through to Grade 3 — although some Grade 4 and Grade 5 classes are sometimes included and students don’t seem to mind.
“The books that the (players) read (are) probably not best suited for Grade 5s, but they still like seeing the guys, which is really nice,” Gallo explained.
“When they come to these schools, (students are) really excited to see the players, and I think it’s important for the players to come out and see how excited these young fans are to see them.”
On Nov. 28, Grade 1 students at St. Michael were among those who got to meet two of the Moose Jaw Warriors as the teammates read aloud from “Brady Brady,” a book series about a young protagonist named Brady who loves sports — especially hockey.
“Building a connection between our players and the community is important, and… getting out with our youngest fans is even more important,” Gallo added.
As the Moose Jaw Warriors are community owned, Gallo affirmed the importance of the team’s community involvement. “It’s something that we take a lot of pride in,” he said.
According to Gallo, the Warriors are deeply committed to community outreach, notably through programs like Read to Succeed, minor hockey programs, and through visiting numerous organizations including Diversified Services.
“We try to go out as much as we can, and the guys understand the importance of it and they enjoy it. They have fun,” Gallo concluded.
The Read to Succeed program will continue throughout the duration the Warriors’ regular season with school visits depending on schedule availability.
If you’re an educator and would like to invite the Moose Jaw Warriors to come read to your classroom, contact James Gallo at [email protected].
