Rimbey Elementary Secures $5,000 Grant to Boost Skating and Sports Programs

Rimbey Elementary School Admin Assistant Bre Button (centre), with students Josie Beagle (left, Grade 5) and Blake Hetherington (right, Grade 6), shows off some of the new hockey helmets purchased with a $5,000 Hockey Alberta grant, helping ensure students stay safe during skating and sports programs.

Rimbey Elementary School (RES) is celebrating a major win for its students after receiving a $5,000 grant from Hockey Alberta. The grant funded much-needed safety equipment for RES’s popular skating and sports programs.

The school’s skating program, where every class gets the chance to hit the ice twice a year, relies on a full set of helmets to keep students safe. But at the start of this school year, staff discovered that nearly all their helmets had expired.

“We were down to six usable helmets,” said Bre Button, Rimbey Elementary’s administrative assistant. “There was a moment of, ‘Well, now what?’ We didn’t want to cancel the program, so we turned to the community and started searching for help.”

Families in the community generously donated used and even new helmets, but the school still faced a significant shortfall. That’s when Button began researching grants, eventually applying to three programs, including Hockey Alberta’s.

To her excitement, the school was selected.

“It was pure joy,” said Button. “We were incredibly grateful, and honestly a little dumbfounded. Being able to tell the staff and students we were approved was amazing.”

With the grant, Rimbey Elementary purchased 40 helmets and, thanks to a sale, even secured additional adult skates for older students. They also created custom stickers to recognize Hockey Alberta’s support, which now proudly mark the new equipment.

The timing couldn’t be better for next season. While the gear arrived as the skating season wound down, the helmets will be ready for fall, and with a seven-year lifespan, they will serve students well into the future.

“Our skating program isn’t just for the hockey kids,” said Button. “For many students, it’s their first time on the ice, and it’s all about building confidence and having fun. Our sports option program for grades 4 to 6 will also benefit, with activities like broom hockey and mini-sticks.”

As for Hockey Alberta, Button had a heartfelt message:

“Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts,” she said. “I wish I could capture the kids’ excitement when they saw the new equipment, it’s unlike anything else.”

Story submitted by: Vince Burke, Communications Coordinator, Wolf Creek Public Schools