Established in 2013, the annual award recognizes a Stampeders player for his outstanding community service. One of the franchise’s all-time greats, Herm Harrison played for the Stampeders from 1964-72 and was a West Division all-star on six occasions and a CFL all-star three times. Harrison remained in Calgary following his playing days and continued to support numerous community initiatives.

A five-year veteran of the Red and White Michel is an enthusiastic participant in the majority of the community programs operated by the Stampeders including Every Yard Counts, which features player visits to the Alberta Children’s Hospital on the eve of every home game.

The 31-year-old from Plantation, Fla., also brings his passion and positive energy to organizations and initiatives such as the Calgary Food Bank, PinkPower and KidsPlay and makes numerous appearances at community and cultural event. In addition, he shares his experience and football knowledge by taking part in the Learn to Play flag football camp for ages 5 to 15 and attending minor-football games and practices.

Michel’s commitment to being a positive force in the community isn’t limited to team-organized activities. On multiple occasions, he has led groups of teammates into the downtown core to distribute food and water to those in need.

“One of the toughest questions in life is what is my purpose and my assignment in life?” said Michel.“What you wake up thinking about and what you think about constantly before you go to sleep is a clue as to what your purpose and assignment is in life.

“Your assignment is any problem you were created to solve on the Earth. What you love is a clue to the gift and wisdom you contain to complete your assignment. What you hate is a clue to something you are assigned to correct. What grieves you is a clue to something you are assigned to heal.

“These are my constant reminders to make a difference.”

Past winners of the Herm Harrison Memorial Award include Rob Cote (2013), Randy Chevrier (2014), Bo Levi Mitchell (2015 and 2016), Joshua Bell (2017), Rob Maver (2018 and 2019), Kamar Jorden (2021), Colton Hunchak (2022) and Reggie Begelton (2023).

It’s the Stampeders’ annual PinkPower game, presented by Mayfair Diagnostics, to help raise awareness and funds for the battle against women’s cancers.

Limited-edition pink merchandise – toques and mittens featuring the Stampeders logo – will be available for purchase outside all gates, the Stamps Store and at Stamps House starting at 11:30 a.m. until kickoff or while supplies last.

The items are on sale for $25 each with proceeds going to Wellspring Alberta, a not-for-profit organization consisting of a network of community-based centres offering cancer-support programs and services.

Limited-edition pink mini-footballs will be tossed into the stands after Stampeders touchdowns.

Junior Outriders take centre stage at halftime

At halftime, a group of 300 kids aged 5 to 15 will be performing a cheer and dance routine on the field. They’ll be led by members of the Outriders dance team and Stampeder Outrider Alumni.

Fan Zone

Starting at 11:30 a.m. and running until kickoff, the East Fan zone will be active including a DJ, a Zombie Maze and player autographs.

Saturday will also be the Stampeders’ Jerseys Off Our Backs game as fans will have a chance to win a game-worn jersey and get it signed by the player on the field following the contest.

All fans are invited to come down the field after the game to collect autographs and be part of a large group photo. With new turf being installed for the start of the 2025 season, it’s the last chance to step on the playing surface on which a pair of Grey Cup-championship teams – the 2014 and 2018 clubs – performed.

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Beauty.

Grace.

These are some of the adjectives used to describe the spirit of the horse in Indigenous cultures.

Stampeders GM and head coach Dave Dickenson, president Jay McNeil, receiver Marken Michel, defensive back Tre Roberson and team staff were recently welcomed to Dodginghorse Ranch in Tsuu T’ina Nation for a day of education and team building through exploring Indigenous culture.

Former Calgary Hitmen star Brent Dodginghorse, accompanied by his sister and nieces, led the activities. The team learned about what the horse and in effect the Stampeders logo represents to the people of the Treaty 7 territories in the special visit.

“We always say play for the horse,” said Dickenson.

Now, that statement holds additional meaning.

“The spiritual connection between the Indigenous people and their horses is so special,” said Roberson. “I didn’t know much about horses (before), I didn’t know that their heart rates dropped as low as they did, which shows how calm they are.

“That’s the feeling that you get out here, it’s just a calm environment.”

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The day began with a round circle where everybody participated in a smudging ceremony.

The team was instructed to work in groups of three and lead a horse through four different obstacles, teaching the parties patience, communication and teamwork.

Following the team building exercises, everyone was treated to a lesson on the spirit of the horse and its meaning to the Treaty 7 territories. During this portion, Quick 6 served as a model and was dressed in ceremonial regalia.

Following the teachings, the group was privileged with a drum performance and three traditional dance performances.

Before the day ended, Dodginghorse invited Dickenson, McNeil, Michel, and Roberson into his family’s tipi and taught them the intentions behind the construction of the conical tent.

The main takeaway for Roberson?

“Moving onto the next day,” he said. “They make their tipis so that the door is facing the east, which reminds them that no matter what, the sun is going to rise the next day, and to continue move on and move forward and go about your life.

“Marken and I will definitely be sharing with the team what we learned here and use it as a lesson for moving onto the next play and continue to push forward.”

The special visit to DH Ranch culminated with another round table where individuals shared something they learned and went in turn giving each person a hug. McNeil offered Dodginghorse a gift for welcoming the club and all the day’s festivities, including an Indigenized Stampeders helmet and tobacco.

“In football, cultures come together and it’s good to learn a new culture, especially being a new Canadian as well for me,” said Dickenson at the end of the visit. “I felt like I learned a lot and it was a really nice afternoon, and hopefully we can enhance our relationship.

“We’re surrounded by many people of all different races in Canada. Treat people with respect and positivity, that’s what I took from today.”

Calgary will host their first Indigenous Celebration night on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m. Part of the pre-game festivities include traditional performances in the East Fan Zone, a relay horse to accompany Quick 6 during the national anthem, and the anthem being sung in Blackfoot.

Join the club for an inspiring evening of unity, respect, and a celebration of the vibrant Indigenous heritage that enriches our city.

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Some head back home for a quick visit with their families or go on a mini-vacation to clear their minds.

But for three Stamps, they used their time off to give back to the community.

Receivers Marken Michel, Cam Echols, and Ishmael Hyman took to the streets of Calgary to hand out food to those in need.

“We’re at McDonald’s and we’re about to feed some people,” said Michel in a video he posted to his Instagram account.

“We felt compelled to feed some people so we came to McDonald’s, we’re going to grab a couple cheeseburgers, grab a couple fries and help whoever we can.”

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Marken, Cam and Ishmael helping make a difference

: @flyguy_hg #TogetherWeRide pic.twitter.com/BCFryo4Kvz

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) June 23, 2024

The players walked downtown handing out food to whoever looked like they were in need.

Their inspiration to give back came from an encounter they had earlier that day.

“It all stemmed from us walking out a restaurant, we had grabbed some food and we saw a guy digging through a trash can pulling out McDonald’s bags trying to find whatever he could to eat,” explained Michel.

“And we were like ‘there’s a McDonald’s up the street, we could go grab some burgers and fries and try to help out some people and we went ahead and did just that.

“Shoutout to (Echols and Hyman) for having enough humility and love for people to do something like that.”

“Any way, shape, or form you can, try to touch somebody and impact somebody’s life in a positive way and continue to shed light on God’s kingdom.”

The Red and White return to the field this week when they take on the 0-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Family Day at McMahon Stadium, Saturday, June 29.

Fans inspired by the receivers kindness will have their chance to give back next weekend for the annual Purolator Tackle Hunger program. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the game or make a monetary donation to support the growing need in our community. Together we ride, together we can help tackle hunger.

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“It truly came out of nowhere,” admitted the all-star receiver.

“World Vision is a humanitarian mission group that the CFL has partnered with, and Kyla (Findlay), who is a former head coach for the Outriders, asked me to be an ambassador to represent the Calgary Stampeders and the CFL.

“There is one person from each of the nine teams that get picked and thankfully I was blessed to get picked for the Stampeders.”

From March 2-10, Begelton, and fellow CFL ambassadors Tim White (Tiger-Cats), Nic Demski (Blue Bombers), and Marc-Antoine Dequoy (Alouettes) travelled to the Philippines to visit children and families supported by World Vision Canada in a community in Camarines Sur.

The players participated in activities such as joining the students in a reading session and learning to play Filipino games such as patintero and tumbang preso. They also taught the children how to play football.

“The biggest thing was to try and get first-hand insight of what exactly this group does for the community in the Philippines and other places around the world,” he said. “The Philippines is just one of the places (World Vision) supports. They’re actually heading to Kenya in a few days.”

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Reggie Begelton reading to a student at school.

“The first day in the field, we went to the schools and truthfully that was an awesome experience because the kids are so well-mannered, and they continue to always have a smile on their face no matter what the circumstances are,” said Begelton.

“Going from the schools, we went to some of the kids’ homes and to see what they sleep in everyday will actually make you draw tears.

“There’s nothing but a hut, with rocky floors. The one family I personally visited has six in a home on one twin-sized mattress. All they have is that bedroom and you go across a wooden wall and there’s a makeshift kitchen. That’s the whole house, and they’ve been living in that house for 36 years.”

Reggie Begelton (right) and Marc-Antoine Dequoy (middle) visiting a family’s home in Camarines Sur.

“On day two,” he said, “we went to another school and learned about some of their local games, and we played with the kids.”

“It took us a little bit to get the game because of the language barrier, but once we did it was a lot of fun.

“After that it was our turn and we tried to teach them football and they picked it up pretty well. One thing they did learn,” he added with a laugh, “is that it requires a lot of conditioning.”

“This school is the largest school on the island. It has about 1,500 kids, and we can’t teach all 1,500 how to play football so we had the 12 basketball players, and we organized a makeshift game that way.

“Those kids are so genuine and were so happy just to meet us, and it was really fun.”

Reggie Begelton teaching and playing football with students in the Philippines.

In addition to visiting the children and schools, the players explored other communities in the Philippines that World Vision supports.

“Each section of the island has their own trade and in this particular trade they make brooms from scratch,” explained Begelton. “It’s a process because they make it out of this certain type of grass called ‘tiger grass.’ The quality of the grass dictates how much money you can make off it.

“What we learned is you can make about 30 brooms a day and it all depends on what the demand is.

“We went to a fishing village next, and we figured out how this section makes their money. World Vision supplies them with boats to catch giant squid, which is their main source of income.

“World Vision Philippines has created a way to feed families by making their own sardine dish that they supply in a jar. Sardines are the other thing they catch aside from giant squid, but with sardines you have to eat it right then and there. They’ve made a way where you can preserve sardines in a jar, kind of how it is here in the States with cans.

“The final day we visited the agricultural section, where World Vision helps supply pigs so they can sell them at the market for income.”

Reggie Begelton learning the art of broom-making.

“The fact that we as human beings tend to be a product of (our) environment, it puts it into perspective that there is an entirely different world out there and truthfully, your problems, the problems you think you have at home, I can almost guarantee you it’s nothing compared to what is going on in those countries,” said Begelton.

“Us being out in the field, we are able to bring back what we saw and experienced to the communities here at home. You’ll see commercials on TV, or ads and social media, and it’s like ‘Hey, look at the kids, donate here,’. Well, now we are able to vouch for that and really give our testimonies of what we saw and how these people are living.

“It makes you want to continue to express gratitude and be willing to help and give any way you can, because a little goes a long, long way. The CAD, the USD, everything there helps out so much. It’s not expensive to live there but it’s hard to make money.”

The recipient of the 2023 Herm Harrison Memorial Award, Begelton has a deep passion for giving back to the community.

The 30-year-old product of Beaumont, Tex., is a regular participant in the Every Yard Counts program as he and several of his teammates visit the Alberta Children’s Hospital the day before every home game to spend time with young patients in the Ronald McDonald House and ICU units.

Begelton also participated in the Learn to Play program, helping coach flag football to kids aged 5 to 15. He was also involved in a KidsPlay football program for the South Asian and New Canadian communities.

In addition, Begelton supported numerous local charities and organizations such as Tim Hortons Camp Days, Wellsprings Alberta and the Salvation Army Coat Drive with visits and social-media posts.

This includes more than $365,000 donated through the Stampeders Foundation in support of minor and amateur football projects and the southern Alberta community. This was accomplished in large part thanks to the support of participants in the Calgary Stampeders 50/50 program, presented by RE/MAX.

The Stampeders Foundation is centred upon the support of amateur and grassroots football in Calgary and southern Alberta communities, while also supporting a number of health and education initiatives through player involvement and in-game programming.

Other community highlights from the past year include:

• 570 hours of community service by Stampeders players and other members of the organization
• The team participated in events that raised more than $600,000 for various causes
• A total of 422 community appearances including 60 school visits
• Collaboration with 24 separate community football programs
• Support for 55 different charitable organizations

The Stampeders Foundation is fully committed to the support of amateur and grassroots football in Calgary and Southern Alberta communities. Of the $365,000 contributed through the Stampeders Foundation this season, $285,000 was directed to football teams, associations, fields, facilities and football school programming. This includes ongoing support of Calgary high schools through the financing of HUDL digital coaching tools. More than $50,000 was contributed through the Stampeders Grow the Game and Stampeders Development Funds. These programs help support existing football programs and the growth and introduction of football to youth in our community.

This year, the Stampeders Foundation also hosted the second annual Stampeders Learn to Play Camps in partnership with the Calgary Colts. These camps serve as an introductory experience to football while also emphasizing the promotion of health and overall well-being through sports participation.

The Stampeders Foundation was also honoured to support carya seniors through the Stampeders and Tammy Truman Holiday Luncheon, Wellspring Alberta through Pink Power and the Military Family Resource Centre and Support our Troops through the Stampeders Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Game.

The Stampeders Foundation is the charitable arm of the Calgary Stampeders Football Club, which is dedicated to creating a healthier and brighter community for Calgarians and Albertans. Established in 2013, the Foundation consolidates and strengthens the club’s many charitable endeavours, enabling the organization to build upon its long-standing commitment to the community and football. Since its inception, the Stampeders Foundation has donated more than $4.5 million to football projects in southern Alberta.

For more information visit www.stampeders.com/foundation

To get into the holiday spirit, the Stampeders have been spending time in the community and giving back to those in need.

Over the course of December, players have supported Calgary Children’s Pledge Day and the 3^rd annual Toy Drive in the memory of Sgt. Andrew Harnett, made visits to the Alberta Children’s Hospital, teamed up with Tammy Truman to serve Christmas dinner to seniors, played Stamps basketball games at local schools, and head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson teamed up with the Salvation Army to collect donations at Chinook Centre.

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We had so much fun today making a pre-Christmas visit to kids at the Alberta Children’s Hospital with our friends @AlumniFlames https://t.co/xnPp4MJLXn pic.twitter.com/L7D1r0UUO7

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) December 4, 2023

Most recently, Red and White alum and Grey Cup champion Pee Wee Smith hosted a turkey drive at McMahon Stadium with all proceeds donated to the Airdrie Food Bank. Rene Paredes and Tre Roberson joined Smith to help encourage Calgarians to come support.

“It’s always great to be involved in the community,” said Roberson. “Just being out there and showing face and being able to connect with different people – my kids are in the community and play a lot of sports, and we love to be involved and feel like we’re a part of Calgary.”

Come drop by the east parking lot, we’re collecting turkeys for @airdriefoodbank! pic.twitter.com/5EpzL2cgTo

— Calgary Stampeders (@calstampeders) December 16, 2023

Roberson and his wife, Amanda, also initiated the “SHARE A SMILE” donation drive in early December where fans could come and donate items for Alberta youth this Christmas. The pair collected toys, clothes, books, and monetary donations in support of local Calgary and Airdrie organizations such as Magic of Christmas, BCG Airdrie Club and Airdrie Raiders Spring Football. Teammates Joshua Coker, Colton Hunchak, and Marken Michel joined them in support.

“Growing up,” began Roberson, “there were times when we needed help for clothes and things like that and we had access to toy drives and things, so that’s something my wife and I wanted to do and be able to give back to people that need it.

“We know how hard it is during these times and having to provide for your kids and pay rent, so if we can take a burden off of someone and try to help someone out then that’s what we want to do.”

And the Robersons are passing down their giving spirit to their children as well.

“It’s very important (for them to be involved). They love doing it too, they love being out and meeting people. It also builds their confidence growing up, and it gives them memories they can live with and take with them.”