Kings Goaltender Caps off Impressive Career with Charitable Donation

Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Hockey goaltender Arik Weersink (Kinesiology and Sports Studies) has created a lasting impact on and off the ice.

At the start of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season, Weersink committed to donating a dollar for every save he made during the regular season to the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind (ASRAB). ASRAB is a not-for-profit organization that provides sports and recreation opportunities for blind and partially sighted Albertans to promote physical and mental wellness.

The fifth-year goaltender made 265 saves in 11 games played during the regular season while steering aside 141 in the playoffs and leading the Kings to back-to-back championships and their 10th gold medal in program history. On top of his personal donation, the Logan Boulet Inclusive Education Fund supported Weersink with a 50-cent donation per save during the season, bringing the total gift to more than $600.

Dustin Butterfield, ASRAB’s Director of Competitive Sport, explained this donation will make an impact on and off the ice.

“This donation will go towards ice time and is almost enough for two practices. This contribution also helps to lower participant fees which keeps the parasport of Blind Hockey accessible.”

Butterfield added that Weersink is a great coach and ASRAB was lucky to have him come out for practices over the last few months.

“He is genuine, approachable and a good leader. He is good with the players and has succeeded in adapting to the challenges of trying new drills too. He is very knowledgeable and has really helped our goalie.”

Since the campaign kicked off, Weersink has regularly attending practices to not only help the goalies but also the rest of the Blind Hockey players.

He explained being a part of an organization that combines two of his passions, hockey and visual, has been a blast.

“They accepted me immediately and taught me about the slight differences between hockey and Blind Hockey. As the year went on, I got more comfortable with leading practices and scrimmages. They are amazing people and a great organization.”

Following the end of the season, Weersink added another milestone to his list of accomplishments as he was announced as the ACAC Men’s Hockey Playoff Most Valuable Player. After he graduates from RDP later this year, Weersink hopes to enroll in an optometry school and continue his education but he still hopes to be involved in the organization in the future.

In addition to hockey, ASRAB members enjoy participating in a broad spectrum of winter, summer and indoor sports and recreation programs.

Prospective volunteers or people wishing to donate can go to their website, www.asrab.ab.ca, to find more information about the organization.