Over the course of the year each CJFL team gives back to the community.  Whether that is helping at local food banks, visiting hospitals and senior assisted living facilities to have tea or to clean up roadside garbage, teams and players alike love to give back.  

The Rick Smoke Community Service Team Award is given to a CJFL team that collectively logs hours and hours of volunteer time, getting their hands in several community organizations.  The Hamilton Hurricanes seem to do it better than anyone else across the country.

Following up on their 2023 Rick Smoke team Award for community service this year’s Hurricanes team saw the organization build on their commitment to community service.  2024 was the most active the organization has ever been, as the team amassed over a staggering 1,850 person hours of volunteer work in the Hamilton community.  The Canes ran a food drive that collected over 2,000lbs of food for Hamilton Out of the Cold plus raised $1,500.00 in cash donations during the two-Day food drive.  As part of their Pack the Park initiative in which the Hurricanes set a new attendance record for an Ontario Conference regular season game, they raised and donated $4,000 dollars split between Hamilton Out of the Cold and Food 4 Kids charities.  Through the forgoing events and other fund-raising initiatives, the Hurricanes raised and donated over $6,500 dollars to local charities in the past 12 months.
The CJFL would like to recognize the Hamilton Hurricanes as the 2024 Rick Smoke Community Service team award winners for outstanding community service.  Congratulations! 

About the Rick Smoke Award:

The Rick Smoke Memorial Volunteer Recognition Award is named for former CJFL Treasurer Rick Smoke, who passed away suddenly in 2013. Rick dedicated many years to junior football at the team and conference level, and over 25 years on the CJFL Executive as Treasurer. Junior football is successful because of the dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. This award, to honour Rick’s memory, is a tribute to celebrate and recognize the volunteers, past and present.
 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a member of the CJFL Executive has challenged a guru in the sport of rugby to raise funds for the Breast Assessment Centre at the Pasqua Hospital in Regina, Saskatchewan.   

It’s the age old battle of football versus rugby!

Prairie Conference president Randy O’Shaughnessy is representing the football side of things, while Levi Moore is the “hair” of rugby for this challenge.   Both men have been growing their locks for about two years and if enough funds can be raised in the month of October, the clippers will come out and they will have their heads shaved with their luscious locks donated.  

Both men chat with Ryan Watters and share why raising funds for breast cancer awareness is important to them. 

To  donate to Randy or Levi following this link – Home - Hair We Go (akaraisin.com)