M.L. rugby player thankful for Colombia sports and charity trip
Sitting in the Calgary airport waiting for her flight home, Meadow Lake’s Skyla Russell is tired, but one word keeps repeating in her head: grateful.
She just returned from a week-long rugby trip to Medellin, Colombia, but this wasn’t just any sporting event, she said. It was a special opportunity to help the impoverished community there, play the sport, and connect with one another.
She travelled as a part of the Dog River Howlers Rugby Club based out of Regina for a project the organization has been doing for a number of years, where they bring along rugby gear and items like toothbrushes, clothing and shoes, and school supplies to donate to some of the most poverty-stricken regions of the country as a part of the Life for Life Foundation. This year’s trip took place from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6.
“Seeing the kids’ faces light up was unreal,” she said. “It was a big eye-opening experience. It really makes me super grateful for what I have at home. I realized that you don’t need money to be happy, as long as you have passion, and love and sympathy that’s all you really need. All these kids, they barely have a roof over their head and they’re so happy.”