Former Bobcats assistant captain Jayven Leslie is this year’s Lions Junior Citizen of the Year for his role in the team’s Buzz the Bobcats haircut funder for mental health. He was nominated by Lion Stephanie Munro, left, and presented with a plaque by member Shelley Tatro at a club meeting last Tuesday. Geoff Lee Meridian Source
Lloydminster Lions Club members are still roaring their approval for three new award recipients.
The loudest round of applause goes to former Lloydminster Bobcats hockey player Jayven Leslie, named Lions Junior Citizen of the Year at a club meeting at Kinsmen Hall last Tuesday.
“I don’t really know what to say. I didn’t see this coming. Thank you; it means a lot to me,” said Leslie.
“Everything I’ve been able to accomplish I’ve done it with the help of hundreds of people in this community.”
The 18-year-old plans to attend school and play hockey in Camrose this fall, but he’s reluctant to leave his hometown.
“We’ve got the greatest community in my opinion. That’s why I’ve enjoyed this community my entire life and I never want to leave,” said Leslie.
The teen was nominated by Lion Stephanie Munro for his role in the Buzz the Bobcats haircut funder in January for youth mental health in Lloydminster.
Munro is also CEO of the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation who helped Leslie and Lloydminster firefighter Maverick Hann to turn the project into a fun community event for mental health.
“Through the Buzz the Bobcats and through our live stream, we were able to donate over $135,000 to the Lloydminster Public School Division and the Lloydminster Catholic School Division,” explained Munro.
“Every single Grade 8 student in Lloydminster in the next two years will get 14 in-class instructional hours on building mental resilience.”
It all came about after Leslie suffered a mental breakdown from stressing himself to perform to his high standard at hockey and letting it all bottle up inside.
“It got to a point where it made me break,” said Leslie, noting that was a tipping point to do something to reclaim his mental health and reach out for help.
“Luckily for me, I had someone like Maverick in my corner; I had an older brother and a great family that had experienced some mental health stuff as well,” he told the Lions.
Leslie said stereotypically hockey players and men don’t have (talk about) mental health problems.
He was able to bond with Maverick who was suffering from work-related mental stress himself.
“Recently, I came into a lot of traumatic incidents once we started doing a lot of medical calls. I struggle with PTSD,” said Hann.
“Jayven reached out to me and we started talking about it.”
Maverick says they went on Kurt Price’s local podcast and began talking about mental health.
“We just want to keep that conversation going,” said Hann.
Lion Shelley Tatro filled in the blanks from Munro’s nomination statement
“Jayven defines what the community is all about and the Lions motto we serve. Through his teenage years Jayven suffered from mental health issues,” said Tatro.
“This year he decided to take a positive step forward by speaking his own truth to help inspire other youth who may be going through similar struggles.”
Tatro noted Jayven took a huge step out of his comfort zone when he approached the health foundation on how he and his teammates could help to raise funds.
“Through conversation and collaboration, Buzz the Bobcats was born,” added Tatro.
Leslie was also recently named the RBC Youth Community Ambassador Award
“He’s a role model both on and off the ice for individuals of all ages,” said Tatro.
Accolades were also heaped on Dr. Raff Sayeed for his humanitarian service with the Lions for the past 47 years in Lloydminster.
Sayeed was honoured as a Melvin Jones Fellow from the Lions Club International Foundation, the highest recognition award available.
“I am actually speechless, but I’d like to say just one thing,” said Sayeed.
“To serve your fellow human beings is a privilege and it’s an honour and I was just doing something that I got more out of than giving.”
Club secretary Kathy Smithson was also in shock and awe as a recipient of a Marvin Chambers Fellowship from the Saskatchewan Lions Foundation for her contributions.
“This is overwhelming. Thank you very much,” said Smithson.
