SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Red Cross partnered with Saskatchewan Roughrider Jorgen Hus to combat bullying in Canada’s north. Hus recently joined a delegation from the Red Cross for a trip to Nunavut.
Over five days, they visited six schools and a youth correctional facility in Kimmirut and Iqaluit as part of the Red Cross’ “Imagine No Bullying” initiative. It’s the first time the Saskatchewan Red Cross has visited Nunavut.
It was a very different place than what Hus was used to.
“So remote, so far away, a lot of people still living off the land, eating off the land, they have to work for everything,” Hus said.
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He said he had personal reasons for taking part.
“I had a good friend when I was growing up … he was bullied, I saw the effects it had on him, bringing him down. It has such a lasting impact on kids,” Hus said.
The delegation’s message to children: find your passion and keep busy with something positive.
“If kids are kept busy and they’re in positive things, whether that be sport, or art, or culture, or anything like that, they’re less inclined to actually do bad behaviour,” said Cindy Fuchs, vice-president for the Saskatchewan Red Cross.
Hus says he was met with a warm welcome and that the students were interested in what he had to say.
“Everybody at every school was so locked in and we built such a connection, I was really blown away by it. And that’s kind of what made it so impactful I think,” Hus said.
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