Wendy Kelly, the first female to enter the SaskTel Plaza of Honour, was the last person who would ever accentuate her many accomplishments.
In her selfless and collaborative way, she ensured that everything was done with passion and in pursuit of perfection.
That approach served her and the Saskatchewan Roughriders exceedingly well — as exemplified by her appointment to the community-owned CFL team’s Executive Committee (now the Board of Directors) in 1993.
“Wendy Kelly was not only a trailblazer but was such an amazingly impactful volunteer on so many levels,” Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds said.
“She is extremely deserving of this honour and the Roughriders are better because of her deep involvement with the Club.”
In addition to serving on the Executive Committee from 1993 to 1995, Kelly was a team nurse for seven years and volunteered for 10 Ladies Nights.
When the first Saskatchewan-based Grey Cup was held, in 1995, she co-produced the parade and halftime show.
As well, she chaired the 2012 Plaza of Honour dinner committee and was the Production Manager of the 2013 Grey Cup gala.
Born in Moose Jaw in 1949, Kelly passed away in Regina on April 5, 2018.
“Even when she fell ill, she dragged herself to meetings and led our team,” recalled Josh Shaw, who was with REAL District when he worked closely with Kelly. “She never complained.
“I remember this tiny little lady organizing volunteers, running them water, covering their breaks and running pamphlets all over the place.
“She was just a tireless worker and, above all, a fabulous human being. I couldn’t be happier to see Wendy recognized in this manner and it is so well-deserved.”
Shaw — now the Roughriders’ Manager, Operations and Facilities — was REAL’s Manager of Events when he met Kelly. At the time, she oversaw the Queen City Exhibition and chaired the Fair Committee.
“From the outset, she was one of the most driven and passionate people I have ever met,” Shaw marvelled. “Her affiliation with REAL and the summer fair goes back decades and I appreciated her enthusiasm and passion. I was fortunate to soak in her knowledge and apply those lessons with my career.
“Beyond that, Wendy was just a kind person who you loved to be around.”
Kelly is to formally enter the Plaza on Saturday, during halftime of the Roughriders’ game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
The 2013 Roughriders — the fourth Grey Cup championship team in franchise history — will be enshrined in the Plaza with Kelly.
TD THOMAS
The Roughriders’ Thomas Bertrand-Hudon patiently waited for his first CFL touchdown.
Then he scored twice in one game — with the two-yard TD runs coming a mere 67 seconds apart during last Friday’s 33-26 loss to the B.C. Lions in Vancouver.
“It was cool, but I was kind of disappointed, because it happened at the end of the game and we were losing,” Bertrand-Hudon said. “It’s very bittersweet, but I was happy in a way.”
The Roughriders’ coaches are extremely happy with the progress of Bertrand-Hudon, who was selected in the fourth round (30th overall) of the 2023 CFL draft out of Delaware State.
He entered last weekend’s game with 59 yards on six carries — an average of 9.8 yards per carry — before eliminating the zero from beneath the “TD” category.
The first touchdown, with 1:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, was followed by a Brett Lauther convert that reduced the Lions’ lead to 33-19.
Lauther’s onside kickoff was then recovered by teammate Jaxon Ford to give Saskatchewan possession on its 44-yard line.
Quarterback Jake Dolegala then moved the offence 66 yards in seven plays, the last of which was Bertrand-Hudon’s second two-yard TD run. Lauther followed up with another convert.
With 10 seconds remaining, a second onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, whereupon the Lions performed two kneel-downs and time expired.
Not long before that, the curiosity factor had ceased to be part of the equation for Bertrand-Hudon, who had wondered what it would be like to cross the goal line at the professional level.
“At the beginning of the year, I had my eyes on it,” he said. “I just wanted to score to see how what it feels like and to see if I was going to get that overwhelming feeling once I finally break the plane.
“It was like that a little bit, but with what the game was like, I kind of settled down and thought, ‘OK, now we’ve got to go get the kick.’ ”
