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With extreme cold settling over Regina, a local youth hockey team stepped off the ice and into the community, delivering winter gear to those who need it most.
The U13 AA Regina Mustangs, in partnership with the Rusty Shovel Landscape Shop, donated a cargo trailer full of warm clothing to the Al Ritchie Community Centre, less than two weeks before Christmas and during a stretch of dangerously cold weather.
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The donation included toques, jackets, boots, scarves and other winter essentials intended to help families stay safe during the coldest days of the year.
Ryan Riffel, who works with the Regina Mustangs and the Rusty Shovel Landscape Shop, said the timing of the donation was critical.
“Hockey teams like to do benefit games every once in a while,” Riffel said. “We chose to our right before Christmas, and we chose the Al Ritchie Community Centre. We wanted to donate clothing and items that people need.”
Ryan Riffel, who works with the U13 AA Regina Mustangs and Rusty Shovel Landscape Shop, poses beside a cargo trailer filled with winter clothing donated to the Al Ritchie Community Centre in Regina. The donation was made as extreme cold gripped the city ahead of Christmas. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Riffel said the response from the hockey community was overwhelming, with parents, players and local businesses stepping up to support the effort.
“We actually ended up with a cargo trailer full of things,” Riffel said. “Hopefully it makes somebody’s Christmas a little brighter.”
The donation comes as the province experiences extreme cold, with bitter temperatures and dangerous chills creating a serious safety concern for people without adequate winter clothing. Riffel said the weather made the donation even more urgent.
“Nobody likes -40 C weather,” he said. “We’re showing up with around 500 toques to give families. Minus 40 C is not a humane temperature.”
In addition to toques, the donation included boots, shoes, jackets, shirts, and other items meant to help individuals and families endure the winter months.
The Al Ritchie Community Centre was selected as the beneficiary by the team’s head coach’s wife, a decision Riffel praised.
“She knocked it out of the park,” he said. “She picked a fantastic organization to be our benefactor for this.”
Beyond the immediate impact of the donation, Riffel said the initiative also teaches young athletes the importance of giving back.
“It’s more than just about playing the game on the ice,” he said. “It’s about team camaraderie and being good human beings. Part of being a better human is giving to other people.”
Riffel said the players embraced the opportunity, adding that many of them enjoyed collecting donations — even more than playing in the benefit game itself.
As extreme cold continues across Regina, the Mustangs hope the gear they delivered will help people stay warm and safe during the winter and holiday season.
