Mike Redmond of Stratford has a goal — to give children in need and newcomers to Prince Edward Island a sporting chance for fun and socialization.
And that’s exactly what he’s been voluntarily doing for close to a decade through local soccer camps and other sports programs.
“I think everybody should have the right to follow (his or her) passion,” says Redmond, who is director of facilities at Murphy’s Community Centre in Charlottetown, UPEI outdoor facilities co-ordinator and UPEI’s head coach for women’s soccer.
Sports, both organized and free-play and especially soccer, were constant in his young life growing up in Charlottetown. So was the concept of helping others, which was fostered by his parents, Teddy and Margaret Rose Redmond.
“I recall lots of times when my father would take people home who didn’t have a place to stay and you’d wake up with people sleeping on your floor. Or there would be a seagull with a broken wing in the middle of the living room . . . , “ Redmond says.
“So obviously they were great influences on me in terms of ‘Don’t walk by — help’.”
When Redmond is not at home with his wife, Bryn Redmond, and their three children — Caelan, 10, Declan, 6 and Ella, 2 — he is in overdrive making sure that children who need it have access to his soccer camps and programs at no cost. He is constantly on the hunt for gear, such as cleats, shorts and shin pads for the kids as well.
Redmond, who has an ongoing relationship with the P.E.I Association for Newcomers to Canada (PEIANC), also arranges an annual bus jaunt for newcomers to attend a hockey game at UPEI.
“I think one of the first times we ever went to a hockey game, we had a young girl from Iran and she actually won an opportunity to go shoot the puck (at the net),” Redmond remembers.
“She’d never seen ice before, or hockey, and having the opportunity to walk out (and do that). And she actually put (the puck) right down the middle . . . so she ended up winning a prize pack.”
Redmond also ran an 18-month pilot project for local NGOs, the aim of which was to open access to existing facilities, such as UPEI, to clients of these organizations, which included PEIANC, the P.E.I. Alzheimer Society and more.
Nancy Clement, francophone settlement worker for PEIANC and member of the community outreach team, also sat on that committee.
“Our interest in it was that a lot of newcomers don’t really know that the facilities at UPEI are open to non-students . . . so he was helping us to introduce them to the facilities to have some use for them . . .”
Although Clement doesn’t work directly with Redmond on the sports programs for young newcomers, she knows of his dedication to the participants.
“I just know second-hand that the kids just seem to adore Mike and he’ll often go really out of his way to pick somebody up and drive them to soccer games. He constantly just magically appears (saying) ‘Here’s some cleats. I just happen to have 14 T-shirts’,” she laughs.
“He definitely goes above and beyond his job to make (the programs) accessible to the kids and particularly to the refugee kids. He’s really kind of taken them under his wing, which is really lovely.”
Murphy’s Pharmacies owner Ray Murphy, who operates Murphy’s Community Centre, describes Redmond as a go-getter.
“I first came into contact with Mike when he approached my business regarding sponsorship for one of his charitable initiatives. Mike had a passion for getting kids involved in sport — no matter what their circumstances — he wanted to break down barriers and allow everyone the opportunity to play. I’m proud to say we were able to help him with many of those projects over the years,” said Murphy.
“Mike is the kind of guy who is always scanning around — looking for areas where people who need help and are not getting it. He had the passion and ambition to step in, gather a team and resources, and provide that help. I’m not sure how he finds the time — he has a young family and lots of other responsibilities but he always seems to find the time to help others . . .”
"I do it for very selfish reasons, because I really enjoy seeing people happy." - Mike Redmond
Also part of Redmond’s social activism is his involvement with local food drives, one of which he participates in every year starting at 7 a.m. with his eldest son.
“I think it’s the most important thing you can do, to be a positive example (for your children),” Redmond says.
“If he understands what I do, then he’s definitely more apt to replicate it. So if I’m doing positive things within the community (that’s a good thing). He has a great understanding already at 10 years old that not everybody has the same opportunities and there are people who don’t have (much) at all. So it’s important to him too.”
Redmond has also organized fundraisers for people who have suffered extreme losses in their lives, collected soccer balls and other equipment for a church group that was heading to Haiti and runs fitness classes at Tremploy.
He even runs a Toy Story for Christmas program at Murphy’s Community Centre that accepts toys in good condition, cleans them up and sends them on their merry way to families in need.
With the help of a cycle-savvy friend, he refurbishes abandoned bicycles and passes them on to grateful riders.
Redmond believes it is the social responsibility of people to do what they can to help make a difference, no matter how small.
“I do it for very selfish reasons,” he grins, “because I really enjoy seeing people happy.”
mmackay@theguardian.pe.ca
