When the hockey sticks came out, the kids quickly became kids, even if they didn’t have much experience with the sport.
The same could be said for the adults, as well. Just ask Derek Binford, who is in his 14th year as a deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
A mentor with the After-School All-Stars, Binford found himself with a stick in his hand amid a tornado of action last month as the Blue Jackets visited Buckeye Middle School. By the time the group of elementary, middle and high schoolers were done with the sport, with sticks and nets set up by Columbus Recreation and Parks, Binford was ready for a break.
“It was a workout that I didn’t plan on participating in, but it was fun,” Binford said with a smile. “I think everyone involved had a great time.”
Playing street hockey was an experience that likely was new for many of the close to 40 kids who showed up for the mentoring event, but it will pale in comparison to tonight when the kids, their mentors and members of local law enforcement will be welcomed to Nationwide Arena for the Blue Jackets game as part of First Responders Night.
After-School All-Stars is all about positive mentorship and new experiences, and attending tonight’s contest against the Blues –just like picking up sticks on their own – qualifies.
“It was thrilling because a lot of these kids do not have the opportunity or the exposure to have been in their midst, so when the Blue Jackets came to us and said listen, we had this opportunity, the whole entire program was excited to not only partake, but they wanted to get out there and get on the sticks,” said Kirstin Buckner, director of mentorship and community partnerships with After-School All-Stars Ohio. “It’s an opportunity, and it also expands their dreams and their vision of what they are capable of doing.”
Founded in 1992 and started in Central Ohio in 2000, After-School All-Stars is a nationwide program that strives to close the opportunity gap and reinvent what out of school time looks like for at-risk youth. After-School All-Stars provides free, comprehensive after-school and summer programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and life.
In Columbus, neighborhoods in the near east and south sides of downtown are faced with many challenges, including crime, housing troubles and more. That’s where After-School All-Stars Ohio focuses on connecting youth with positive mentors – including local law enforcement – that can show there is a path to success. The organization also has a connection with the Blue Jackets Foundation and is one of the foundation’s grant partners in the current cycle.
Willie White, a student at Westland High School who attended the event last month, said he’s told all his friends about the program and is an enthusiastic participant with the organization.
“It’s very important,” White said. “Not a lot of people have people to talk to, so the mentor to me is someone you can go and talk to them about what’s going on at school, how people are treating you, things like that.”
The relationships go both ways as well. Elizabeth Finnegan, a firefighter with the Columbus Division of Fire, is now in her third year working with the After-School All-Stars and believes it fits into her belief that giving back matters.
“One of the best things about being a first responder is getting to connect with people on that intimate, one-on-one basis,” said Finnegan, who also took part in the Columbus Police and Fire trunk or treat event in October. “It’s important to be able to do a program like this where they see us not in an emergency setting but as everyday people doing the things they like, eating pizza and hanging out.”
In addition to playing street hockey, Blue Jackets mascot Stinger made an appearance at the event, Jet’s Pizza was delivered, and Buckner drew an excited reaction when she told the kids they’d all have the chance to attend tonight’s CBJ game.
The kids attending also had the opportunity to play card games like Uno with their mentors, design holiday cards and generally be kids in a positive setting. The After-School All-Stars is another example of community leaders coming together to make for a better Columbus.
“I can’t do it by myself, and you can’t do it by yourself,” Buckner said. “We need a team, a team pushing not only the efforts forward but making sure there is actual progress. When you have the collaboration with the Blue Jackets and After School All-Stars working together, that makes a dream team, so we’re excited to have this opportunity presented to us.”
