Former Oilers join community foundation campaign to support children

EOCF announced Oilers alumni Chris Joseph, Georges Laraque and Ladislav Smid as new ambassadors to promote the "Every Kid Deserves a Shot" initiative. (Darcy Seaton /CTV News Edmonton)

The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation has appointed a number of special ambassadors, including Oilers alumni and community partners, to promote the "Every Kid Deserves a Shot" initiative.

Every Kid Deserves A Shot focuses on empowering youth and is dedicated to making hockey accessible to all, regardless of backgrounds and circumstances.

The program was launched back in October 2023 and aimed to cement a solid foundation with the Oil Country community for a sustainable future.

"This is a future where all kids across the Oil Country are supported and inspired by the transformative power of hockey," said Myrna Khan, EOCF executive director.

The initiative seeks to inspire hope, courage and focus for young individuals with tangible opportunities in hockey that they can believe in and strive for.

"We believe that at its best, hockey is about hope, it's about courage, it's about focus, it's about fair play and belonging," said Khan.

EOCF announced Oilers alumni Chris Joseph, Georges Laraque and Ladislav Smid as the new special ambassadors.

"We love doing things in Oil Country with working with the kids programs and then when they asked us to do this for EOCF, we thought they do so many good programs around town, just love the fact it gives kids the opportunity to be a part of the team which we all love," said Joseph.

"Because of the fans, because of the kids, because of everybody that is giving out their energy for the games, I feel like it's a duty for us to be a part of the community to be more involved," said Laraque.

Community partners include KidSport, Free Play for Kids, Sport Central and the Hockey Alberta Foundation.

The program is structured in two core pillars: on ice incentive and off ice incentive.

On-ice initiatives aim to support active lifestyles, promote inclusive hockey, empower individuals with disabilities, create unforgettable experiences and break down gender barriers through equity and sport.

Off-ice initiatives include knowledge, driven wellness, nutrients for growth and nurturing environment, embracing confidence and reliance minds.

Khan says the foundation is currently working with 30,000 kids and hopes to triple that in three years.

"I think about my kid and I think about her being fortunate enough to have all the support that she needs to play if she wants to, but I also think about all the other kids in Oil Country who don't have that opportunity."

In an interview with CTV News Edmonton, the executive director of Free Play said the initiative gives them a chance to expand even further to reach more people to showcase what they are doing to build an even bigger community.

"It takes a village. It's so true to fight on your own with these huge systemic battles that you face in sport because sport has a lot of barriers and a lot of systemic issues and you need a community of people to recognize it and do something about it," said Tim Adams.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Darcy Seaton