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SASKATOONEXPRESS - June 23-29, 2014 - Page 1
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Volume 11, Issue 24, Week of June 23, 2014
Saskatoonʼs REAL Community Newspaper
F
Football family gives back to community Cora Weenk and James Yausie donated $2 million to the Friends of the Bowl Foundation (Photo by Steve Gibb/GibbArt.com)
ootball has been a old facility into a Canadian physically challenging, Football League regulation character-building sport field. The grass field is being in which the Yausie family in replaced with artificial turf. Saskatoon has excelled. Other upgrades include new James Yausie, a former lighting, a new scoreboard and running back with the Univera new sound system. Work sity of Saskatchewan Huskies, is currently in progress. The and his wife, Cora Weenk, Saskatoon Hilltops expect to now want to make sure their play their first Prairie Junior children — Jay, 16, Chad, 14, Football Conference game on and Tess, 11 — and thousands the new turf in September. of other youngsters get the op“Football has been good People portunity to play in a first-class to me and my brothers,” said park. Yausie and Weenk recentJames. “I saw the Charlie Leily donated $2 million to the Friends of the bel field with its artificial turf in Regina, Bowl Foundation. Instead of using their and I was really impressed. I wanted to names on the facility, they have chosen to do something to give back to the game, call it the Saskatoon Minor Football Field something that is available to all ages. at Gordie Howe Park. With this new development, everyone will The foundation is striving to raise be a winner, and that means youngsters in $11 million to modernize the 53-yearother sports as well as football.”
NED POWERS
The Yausie brothers have been prominent in Saskatoon football. James and his twin, Jeff, went into Nutana Collegiate together, playing one year in the junior program and three years with the senior team. They both went to the University of Saskatchewan, where they played for four years — 1984 through 1987. Jeff had a tryout with the Calgary Stampeders and played for the Ottawa Rough Riders. When he came back to Saskatoon, he used his one remaining year of junior eligibility to play for the Saskatoon Hilltops. During that 1988 season, he played with a younger brother, Paul, who was finishing a four-year career with the Hilltops. Shortly afterwards, Matt, another brother, emerged into Hilltop colours, playing from 2001 through 2005. He was voted All-Canadian three times. Jeff stuck close to football, going to
work with Football Saskatchewan and eventually becoming its executive director. He also joined the coaching staff of the Hilltops in 2002 and is still there. Paul works for ABC. After playing college football at both Saskatoon and Regina, Matt has settled in Regina, where he is a yoga and fitness trainer. He may soon be returning to Saskatoon. James says there were influences along the way. “Our mother, Fern, supported us at every game. I don’t know if any other mother has seen as many football games in which her sons were playing,” said James. He also remembers how John Butler “worked so hard to get 24 players on the field and be competitive when Nutana was in the last years of its football program.” (Continued on page 3)