Vegreville Community Visionary: Jerrold Lemko
In support of sport
"No child should have to stand on the sidelines because they can't afford to play."
When Jerrold Lemko was a boy in Holden, Alberta, his dad stepped up to coach an enthusiastic group of young hockey players on a makeshift outdoor rink. The fact his dad had never learned to skate and had absolutely no experience playing hockey himself was of no concern.
“Back then, in a small town you’d always help out wherever you were needed,” says Lemko. No questions asked. Whether that was shovelling snow from the steps of the church, volunteering with the local fire department, participating in a community clean-up, or coaching sports. “You’d help out because that’s what makes a community grow and thrive.”
Over the years, Jerrold has contributed his time as a coach, a volunteer firefighter, a referee and board member. He has stepped up again and again to help his community thrive. It hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2015, he received a Governor General’s Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers.
The relationship between volunteerism and the vitality of a small town hasn’t changed much since Lemko’s Dad stepped onto the rink to coach, though people like Lemko now bring considerable experience and expertise to their volunteer roles.
After many years serving the local minor hockey league, Hockey Alberta, Hockey Canada, and Alberta Sport Connection with the Canada Winter and Summer Games, Lemko agreed to sit as Vice-Chair for KidSport Vegreville, the local branch of a national organization dedicated to removing financial barriers for young people wanting to participate in organized sport.
“No child should have to stand on the sidelines because they can’t afford to play,” says Lemko. KidSport Vegreville is focused on fundraising to make sure every child who wants to participate in any kind of organized sporting activity (e.g. baseball, hockey, soccer, martial arts, dance) has the opportunity to do so.
“Kids get so much value from being involved in sport,” says Lemko. The immediate, individual rewards of fresh air, exercise, goal setting, discipline and social bonding are just the beginning.
There’s subsequent and significant value in knowing you’re not alone.
“Kids who are involved in sport aren’t all about themselves,” says Lemko. “You can really see the long-term benefits to the community as well. They’re just more well rounded, more giving, more engaged. They grow up to be potential leaders in the community, volunteers in the community, part of the bigger picture – part of a team.”
“If you’re involved in sport, you know why,” says Lemko. No questions asked. The same might be said about volunteering — or supporting such a worthy cause.
KidSport Vegreville:
