From a young age Ryley has understood the importance of helping others and the difference it can make. Whether that was holding a door open for someone or saying “please” and “thank you”, finding a way to help someone was and still continues to be a part of Ryley’s character.
“A way to help people was always important, I got to a point where I felt like I could do something bigger and do a little bit more,” said Ryley.
Ryley, now a 16-year-old hockey player is the founder of the #BeABudd Collectiive, a fundraising initiative helping raise money and awareness for HEROS and SuperHEROS programs within his community. Last season, #BeABudd raised $15,000 of crucial support helping make the SuperHEROS Spring Friendship Tournament a reality for our SuperHEROS players.
“The idea for #BeABudd started with my favourite goalie, Henrik Lundqvist,” said Ryley. “He has a foundation that helps kids. [HEROS Director] Kevin Hodgson gave us [me and my old team] a presentation at the North Star Awards Banquet and that’s how I learned about HEROS and what it is they do. I kind of put the two together. I started thinking about it and that’s how I came up with the idea of Be a Budd.”
Ryley hadn’t known about HEROS prior to the presentation, but quickly realized that HEROS was something he wanted to be a part of.
“I went up to Kevin,” Ryley explained, “and I explained that giving my time is a little bit hard with my hockey schedule, so I asked if there was any other way I could get involved? That’s when we kind of talked and came up with this idea. HEROS took a bit of a risk. I mean I was just a 14-year-old kid with an idea and they decided to work with me and ever since then they’ve been so supportive. HEROS is a big reason to why this has worked so well and why it’s here today.”
Ryley’s #BeABudd initiative began two seasons ago, with the simple concept that local businesses could sponsor him $1 for every save he makes as a goalie during his hockey season. Last year saw the largest amount raised so far from #BeABudd, largely due to the generosity of four sponsors (EnerCorp, DLR Vinyl, Adrenalin Source for Sports, and the Meyer Family). The total raised last year was $15,000 which went directly to SuperHEROS programming. Reaching that goal for Ryley was “an amazing feeling” and something that he “couldn’t have dreamed of at the start to achieve so early.”
Seeing what was possible through #BeABudd has left Ryley excited to build on initiative again this year.
“Learning about HEROS hit a spot for me. Hockey has been such a big part of my life,” said Ryley. “It’s taught me so much, it’s made me not only a better athlete but a better person. So now that I can work with HEROS and give other kids that same opportunity that they might not usually get was really special to me.”
Anyone aiming to get involved and show their support for #BeABudd, they can do so in a number of ways.
“This year I created something called the Collective,” said Ryley. “What that does is it lets other hockey players and coaches get involved and basically do what I do. They can reach out to companies, get their own sponsors and raise money throughout the season, and then at the end of the year the money that everyone raised can support HEROS programs for the next season.”
For those looking to support Ryley and the #BeABudd Collective with a donation, they can visit the #BeABudd CanadaHelps page by clicking here. Donations can be made to the collective as a whole or directed to a specific player of your choosing.
To help raise additional funds, the #BeABudd Collective will also be hosting a silent auction throughout this upcoming season. More information on the auction will be made available soon. Be sure to keep an eye out for emails from HEROS so you can place your bids!