Even the grandest of visions have the humblest of needs. Like assembling a mass mailing. That's where the humblest of volunteers, Rick L-Hereuax, enters the picture. Rick has been on call as a Y2Y volunteer assembly/stuffer-specialist for three years. He got involved when a friend oh-so-casually asked if he might like to help out with a little job down at the Y2Y office where she worked. Living in Canmore and being interested in the outdoors, he had heard of Y2Y, and believed in the mission, so he agreed.
“I'm more than happy to help out and do whatever it takes to get something done,” Rick says. “I'll sit there all day, or however long it takes.” Coming from a career in the private sector, he recognizes how challenging it is for nonprofits to rely on the goodwill and contributions of corporations and individuals, and he admires the dedication and determination of the staff. “It's a challenging job for them,” he says. “They all have a belief in the environment and wildlife, but it has to be funded somehow. It takes a different kind of commitment, and that's nice to see.”
Before he retired Rick worked in the oil industry, in transportation and marketing. He says his time in that business showed him why human communities need corridors for transportation and utility purposes, “but by the same token, we also have to understand that wildlife corridors have to exist, too.”
Originally from a town near Toronto, Rick lived for many years in Calgary with his wife, Reta. Avid skiers and hikers, the couple took an early retirement and moved to Canmore in 2001 to be closer to the mountains. Soon after the move Reta was diagnosed with cancer, which eventually claimed her life. “Part of our plan was we were going to volunteer in the community. We both believed that was an important part of life.” So when his friend approached him about volunteering for Y2Y, it felt like getting back to what they had wanted to do.
Rick has seen Y2Y make headway over the years, finding resolution and compromise in difficult land-use issues facing the West, and he's glad to be a part of that.
“I do love the Rockies,” he says. “The people at Y2Y are working hard to preserve a unique part of North America's ecosystem. If I can contribute either through a monetary donation or just volunteering my time, then I feel like I'm doing something.”