Prince George may be the Northern Capital, but the Cougars’ ability to impact communities stretches far past city limits.
Look no further than the Spirit of Healthy Kids Program.
The program initially launched as a reading program back in 2015, but has since expanded to share lessons about healthy habits, kindness and community involvement.
In addition to school visits that see players read to classes and take part in group activities, the Cougars have teamed up with Spirit of the North to create videos covering everything from proper teeth brushing to managing screen time.
“Screens have a way of sucking us in,” forward Townes Kozicky explained in one video. “If we’re not careful, we can lose control of our whole day and we can end up feeling low energy and down on ourselves.”
“The more time we spend on screens, the less time we have for other activities,” defenceman Eli Johnson added. “Real life happens off screen. Don’t miss it.”
More than 33,000 students in 220 elementary schools across Northern B.C. take part in the program and even come up with their own creative initiatives designed to encourage healthy lifestyles.
This season, École La Grande-Ourse in Smithers, B.C., won a $5,000 prize for its ‘Eat the Rainbow’ challenge, which saw 100% participation among its small but strong population of 23 students.
Another $5,000 in grants has been distributed to five other schools right in Prince George and as far away as Terrace, B.C.
“While winning is certainly exciting, the true success of this program is the positive impact it has on the lives of young people across our region,” a Cougars press release said. “By encouraging healthy habits and active lifestyles, schools are helping build a healthier and happier future for our children.”
The Cats look forward to seeing the program return for its 11th season in 2026-27.
The Western Hockey League strives to promote and foster a welcoming environment in communities close to our 23 clubs in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Every team has the creative freedom to allow their players and staff to work with the organizations and groups that they are most passionate about. The end goal is to create and maintain long-lasting relationships and ongoing partnerships within their community.
Through the McSweeney’s WHL Community Collective, we aim to highlight these outstanding initiatives done by each club throughout the season.
