Royals thankful for senior team volunteers

Top row (left to right): Grant Meadows, Marti van Griensven, Pauline Bender and John Bender. Bottom row (left to right): Heidi Danen, Rodney Ramseyer, Jack Danen and Cletus Ditner are among the many dedicated volunteers who help keep the Tavistock Royals running both on and off the ice, playing vital roles behind the scenes of the community-owned club. Contributed photos

By Lee Griffi

The Tavistock Royals have been a consistent, high-performing team in the former Western Ontario Athletic Association (WOAA) Senior Hockey League and now the Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) under the umbrella of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA).

Either way, the team’s president is well aware of how important its volunteers are, not only to the success but also to the survival of the team.

“The Royals are a community-owned, not-for-profit organization, which means without volunteers, we could not operate. We’re grateful to have a strong executive team of dedicated volunteers who are all equally committed to the success of our program,” said Royals president Kyle Wynette.

Anyone who has been to a Royals home game or one of their games on the road can blatantly see how many people it takes to run the show.

“We have volunteers working as coaches, trainers and equipment for our on-ice activities, while others perform roles like door/tickets, bartending, timekeeping, announcing, treasurer, secretary, sponsorship, meal prep, promotion and social media. It’s quite surprising when I add all the names up, but we have 28 volunteers who help run this club, which is essentially one volunteer per carded player,” Wynette said.

Tavistock has had so many longtime volunteers, most recognizable around town. Wynette said the longstanding volunteers are the heart of the team.

“One volunteer has been here since day one. I’m sure there are others, but that’s Ken ‘Tooke’ Zehr, who founded the club back in 1982. Tooke is always eager to talk about the Royals. His love for the team flows through everyone he meets. ‘Big’ John Bender is another long-serving member, having served as an equipment helper for decades.”

Wynette said Bender often arrives at the rink several hours before puck drop, getting the room ready and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the players and staff.

“Our treasurer, Heidi Danen, is another dedicated volunteer, and I can’t tell you how much we value her role on the team. Often unseen is the work she does behind the scenes, resupplying the Blueline Club, balancing the books and never asking for help. She always ensures we’re ready to go for our next home game. When she’s not managing the Blueline, Heidi has one of the most important jobs, making sure our accounts remain healthy and the club is on firm financial footing for the years to come,” Wynette said.

He added there are so many examples of things the team’s volunteers do behind the scenes, and the players appreciate their efforts and all they do to help behind the scenes.

“We’re lucky to have some new blood join our executive over recent years. With new members come new ideas, and with that comes ways we can make our club better and more successful. For all our dedicated volunteers, there’s not a day that goes by they aren’t thinking about the team or being excited for what the future holds.”

Despite the team being able to keep long-term helpers, there’s always room for new ones.

“We’re always looking for new volunteers to help with our program. We’re fortunate that we operate in a great community full of selfless people who recognize the importance of giving back to the community they live in. We welcome anyone who wants to join our team, whether they want to help on ice or off. I guarantee that if you have a skill set to offer, we will find a role for you,” said Wynette.

“I know I don’t say it enough, but I can’t thank our volunteers enough for all that they do. The Royals are a second family for all of us. From the top to the bottom of the organization, we all bleed Royals blue.”