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Edmonton resident honored as Citizen of The Year

Article Origin

Author

Yvonne Irene Gladue, Sweetgrass Writer, Edmonton

Volume

5

Issue

7

Year

1999

Page 6 A Morris Cardinal print, a star blanket and a standing ovation were part of the celebration of the achievement of Gordon Russell, a man who spent most of his life in sports. The time and effort he contributed to the youth from the Aboriginal community paid off. The Native Counseling Services of Alberta recognized long-time Edmonton resident Gordon Russell as it's Citizen of the Year for the time and effort he's contributed to youth sports in the Aboriginal community. "I believe that Gordon deserves the award," said Allan Benson, executive director of Native Counseling Services. "Gordon did a lot for the Aboriginal youth." Russell began his coaching career in the early 1970's. He took up professional boxing and to make ends meet, he worked as a delivery driver for a bakery shop in the city. For a brief time, he also worked as a landscaper. Also in the early 1970's he fixed up a gym in his basement and completed it with a boxing ring, where he began to coach. "A lot of the kids that showed up there were Native. They showed potential, so I decided to work with them. They wanted to learn. They were serious, and it kept them off of the streets," he said. But Russell hasn't limited his coaching to boxing, it also includes running to fastball. "At one time I had up to 13 kids living in my home. I would have them billet at our home," said Russell. "I remember a lot of kids who lived with us, names such as Frank Pruden, Randy Jackson and Rita Houle were just a few of the names that stayed with us while they trained for competitions," he said. Russell attributes his ongoing interest in sports to the young people he's coached. "I did not plan on becoming a coach. I just sort of fell into it," said Russell. In 1976 he formed and coached Edmonton's Native Daughters, a successful fastball team. Russell who was born in England, moved with his parents to Alberta when he was three years old. He grew up in Castor, a community close to Red Deer. "I first met Gordon when he helped start a boxing club in Lac La Biche," said Benson. "He's done a lot to encourage kids through sports." Russell drove from Edmonton to the community of Lac La Biche twice a week to the gym he helped start there. Russel has been given the Edmonton Sun's Unsung Hero Award and the Sportsman of the Year Award from the Edmonton Sportswriters and Sportscasters Asociation. He was inducted into Edmonton's Sports Hall of Fame and is on the City of Edmonton's Boxing and Wrestling Commission's Honor Roll. Russell, who plans to keep on working with the Aboriginal community, now runs Crystal Kids. The centre provides free breakfasts to school age children during the week.