Former Pronghorns hockey player Evan Wardley is making waves this week as the founder of a new initiative tackling systemic racism and discrimination in the community.
Wardley said Tuesday he was inspired by the response to the Together, Our Community rally he organized in Lethbridge over the summer.
“I was really keen on trying to find something else that would fix this problem,” Wardley said. “To me, education was the first thing that came to mind.”
He adds his focus with the Unification Project Fund is not to shame or blame, but to help others learn about the histories and added pressures on people of colour.
“I know for myself, I never learned about that in school,” Wardley said.
“In elementary school, I was probably the only person of colour that attended school. Living in southern Alberta, where it’s predominantly white, it’s hard to get your voice out there.”
The project is a partnership with the United Way of Lethbridge and southwestern Alberta.
Connolly Tate-Mitchell, with the United Way, said Tuesday it’s something the organization is honoured to be part of.
“To fund programs and projects that really educate people and help them understand what systemic racism is and how individuals can address it.”
The first online donations have already been a welcomed surprise.
“We’re already sitting at almost $500 in this fund since 8 a.m. this morning,” Tate-Mitchell said. “Which is amazing.”
Wardley said he hopes education boards and government officials take note of the program when crafting new curricula.
“It may be uncomfortable, but it’s uncomfortable for me to deal with this — and for other people that look like me.”
The goal is to begin finding local programs as early as spring of 2022.