Carleton Ravens athletes from various varsity teams continue to make their mark in the Ottawa community as they volunteer with elementary students in Start2Finish.
Start2Finish is a Canadian organization that aims to provide assistance to at-risk children across Canada. The organization has several different programs, including the Running and Reading Club, which combines improving literacy and physical activity.
Jessica Pownall is a co-director of the Running and Reading Club at Queen Mary Street Public School in Ottawa.
“The mission of the Running and Reading Club is basically to break the cycle of poverty by giving students confidence and improving their physical activity,” she said.
The other two co-directors at Queen Mary Street are Sadie Wegner and Kelsey Vander Veen from the Ravens women’s hockey team.
Within Ottawa there are two schools that offer Running and Reading Club programs, Queen Mary Street and Robert E. Wilson Public School.
On a snowy Monday in December, 30 kids filled the gym at Queen Mary Street.
The kids removed their winter boots and put on their running shoes to do laps around the gym. This week they ran for 20 minutes, up from last week’s 16 minutes.
As each child completed a lap, they received a ticket and encouragement from a volunteer.
The volunteers for Start2Finish are aptly called coaches.
Carolyn Lamoureux, an educational assistant at Queen Mary Street, said the kids are in need of good role models. She said while it is tempting for coaches to want to be their friend, they need to be an authority figure as well.
Lamoureux said the Carleton women’s hockey team has been great at fulfilling this role.
The team has been involved in the program at Queen Mary Street since it began three years ago.
Wegner, a fourth-year centre for the Ravens, said she has been has been volunteering with the Running and Reading Club since her first year at Carleton. She said every week she gets “so much cheer and happiness” from being a part of the program.
“They’ll lift your spirits,” Wegner said.
Vander Veen, a fifth-year student who plays defence for the women’s hockey team, said she originally got involved because a teammate at the time was working with the program.
“When I first got into it, one of the girls on our team, Kris MacDonald, she just ran the program so she was trying to invite everybody,” she said. “I just liked it, the first time I went it was a little bit crazy, lots of kids running around, but it was a good program and it gives a good feel for the kids.”
Both Wegner and Vander Veen agreed that over time the program became something that they both looked forward to.
“You build relationships with them and it makes you want to go back,” Vander Veen said.
Ravens athletes from the fencing team and the women’s rugby team also volunteer at the program, Wegner and Vander Veen said.
Once the laps were finished, the kids got into their groups, led by one or two coaches. The kids eagerly counted their tickets, excitedly telling each other how many laps they did.
“We want them to participate, but we want them to be safe,” Lamoureux said.
She said the past year had too many students for the volunteers to handle and this year the school was more selective on who would be in the program.
Pownall said the students who participate are picked by the principal and teachers.
“The children are selected based on need,” she said.
Pownall said need could be classified as the need to improve literacy skills, physical activity, confidence or commitment to a program.
After the games, it was time for the kids’ favourite activity: snack time. Along with the snacks came the boxes of books, waiting to be read. A hush fell over the once boisterous gym. While they quietly ate their snacks, several kids sat engrossed in their books. Others had a difficult time sitting still.
Wegner and Vander Veen said at the end of the year, the kids in the program put their running to the test by running five kilometres. All schools that participate in the Running and Reading Club travel to Toronto where the race is held. Outside of the five-km run, there are also reading games and activities throughout the day.
At the end of the evening, everyone gathered to recognize the students from each group. Students are recognized for reading the most or running the most. Volunteers and kids then part ways until next week.
