June 28, 2010:  In 1954 the National Film Board of Canada produced the documentary Corral which followed the life of the cowboy from Cochrane, Alberta rounding up and lassoing wild horses on the plains.

The documentary went on to win Best Documentary at the prestigious Venice Film Festival.

Now 56 years later a new star is ready to document lassoing of a different kind, grabbing basketball rebounds, as Steffanie Jenkins from Bow Valley High School Bobcats joins the Keyano College Huskies women’s basketball team for their inaugural campaign 2010-2011 in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.

The 6’0” post player said she selected the Huskies program due to its size: “I chose Keyano because it is a smaller college where I will be able to adjust to post secondary life, as well as an opportunity to play basketball at a higher level.”

Selected an all-star at the annual 2010 Rocky View High School basketball banquet, Jenkins plans on taking Physical Education and Kinesiology.

Also selected Wolverines MVP for 2009-2010 and most improved player for 2008-2009, Jenkins has been playing basketball since Grade 9 and has set her future goals: “I plan on playing college basketball for the next two years of my college education then transferring become a physiotherapist.”

June 14, 2010: After 29 years of being a leader at Keyano College, Wayne Thomas is beginning his transition from the College and Wood Buffalo to his retirement.  In his current role, Thomas successfully guided the planning, construction and start-up of the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre, a facility that has earned acclaim across the province and country. 

While Thomas is retiring from the College, he is not retiring in the traditional sense.  “I’m a baby boomer,” he quipped.  “I’ll never truly retire.  I need to stay busy.”  Thomas plans to pursue teaching and consulting opportunities and to spend more time at his property in Las Vegas and traveling.

“Wayne’s impact on Keyano College cannot be overstated,” said Jim Foote, President, Keyano College.  “After almost 30 years, Wayne knows almost everything and everyone associated with Keyano.  He possesses a world of knowledge about where we’ve been and a keen sense of where we’re going.  His vision, dedication and hard work resulted in the realization of a dream—the opening of a state-of-the-art sport and wellness centre and a Huskies Athletics program that is thriving.”

“We are very pleased that Wayne is able to stay on with us to ensure a smooth transition,” said Al Adibi, Vice President, Finance & Administration.  “He will be leading a number of projects including the planning for the 25th anniversary of our entry into the ACAC, the development of a potential Huskies hockey program and various capital projects that need to be addressed in the Sport & Wellness Centre.  Wayne has generously agreed to remain at Keyano for a period of time to help mentor the incoming Director, providing an effective transition period. ”

The position of Director, Sport & Wellness, Keyano College will be posted shortly. 

June 2, 2010: The goal is to leave a legacy and create a future for tomorrow’s athletes. The Keyano College Foundation is pleased to launch the Huskies Athletics Endowment with a fundraising goal of $500,000. We are proud to announce the lead donation of $50,000 from The Realty Kings.

The official launch of the endowment will take place on June 5 during the Keyano College Foundation/First North Catering Golf Classic. The Foundation is thrilled to launch this project in celebration of the Keyano Huskies’‘25th anniversary. When the goal of $500,000 is reached it will provide approximately $25,000 in annual awards to student athletes at the College.

Wade Kolmel, Keyano Huskies Athletics Director, says the endowment will enable the Athletics Program to develop and create an exciting future for tomorrow’s athletes.

“The 25th anniversary year is the perfect catalyst to launch this project. This is a huge endeavour, and we believe the community will support us,” explained Kolmel.

“The Realty Kings have really launched us forward with their significant donation to this endowment,” he said.

“The King family has a strong relationship with Keyano College that has endured for many years. Doug and Sheran’‘s children have been involved with our youth initiatives from the time they were young. They went on to join the Huskies Basketball and Volleyball teams and are now assisting as coaches. The King family’s lead donation is a true commitment to the community where their children have been raised. Their financial contribution will support opportunities for future Huskies athletes,” Kolmel added.

For the Realty Kings, who are part of the Coldwell Banker Fort McMurray team, it is indeed coming full-circle. Doug and Sheran King moved to Fort McMurray in the 1970s. Doug King joined Keyano College in 1973, then known as the Alberta Vocational School, followed by his wife Sheran. The Kings then enrolled in the University Transfer Program and went on to secure their Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Alberta.

Christie and Michael King joined Keyano College in 2007 and 2001 respectively and went on to play for the Huskies Women’s Basketball and Men’s Volleyball teams. The endowment is their way of giving back.

“We have enjoyed our life here in Fort McMurray and we feel it is important to support the community in which we live. Contributing to the Huskies Athletics Endowment program is something we felt strongly about – it was easy to make this commitment,” explains Sheran King.

Doug King agrees. He says Keyano is continually “striving to meet community needs – from the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre to the Bachelor of Education Program.”

Melane LeBlanc, Annual Giving Manager, Keyano Foundation, thanked the King family for their donation. She believes the endowment will not only attract elite athletes to the College, but also increase Huskies Athletics profile provincially and nationally.

“We encourage the community to donate generously to this endowment. Together we can create a brighter future for the athletes of today and tomorrow,” LeBlanc said.

The King Family

May 26, 2010

By  Curtis J. Phillips

Fort McMurray CONNECT

 The driving distance between Fort McMurray, Alberta and Benton Harbor, Michigan is approximately 2,407 kilometres.

For Cole Taylor it might as well be a million miles.

Taylor, 25, a recent recruit of the Keyano College Huskies men’s basketball program comes from a world where “I thought the world ended and started on my doorstep.”

There are few rags-to-riches stories in Benton Harbor where about 40% of the families live below the poverty line and 92% of the populace are African-American.

“Basketball (and football, where he was an all-star wide receiver) was my rescue,” said Cole, who along with his younger brother were raised by their mother in a single-parent family. “I’d say 50 to 55 per cent of (his male peers) went down the wrong road.”

Cole, a 5-foot-10 guard who averaged 16 points per game for the Lakeshore High School Lancers, recalls the first time that his mother told him to “fight back and stick up for himself.” He was only 12 years-old.

“This guy wanted something from us and my mother said we had to prove to them that what we had was ours and that no one was going to take it from us...my mom worked hard to put us in nice clothes and shoes. It was a pretty serious fight I had with the guy for 15 to 20 minutes.”

Taylor managed to follow the right path, spending countless hours on the gridiron and hardwood but admits that the environment was not the safest at times.

“I remember in Grade 5...I will never forget it. We were 0-8 the year before in Grade 4 and now we were 8-0 and playing a junior high for the championship. It was the second quarter and gunshots go off in the gymnasium and everyone was ducking. You could be anywhere at any moment and stuff can happen but you have to suck it up and keep going.”