OHSWEKEN – As several awards await to be awarded to the late Gaylord Powless, his daughter Gaylene Powless has been hard at work with getting over 1200 copies of “Absolute Pressure,” featuring Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and 2017 Souvenir Sports Novel by Sigmund Brouwer to be given to students at elementary schools on Six Nations and New Credit.
The books not only include Hall of Fame sports icons including Powless’s father, but also offer an inspiring novel for youth to read on how sports can affect and direct a future for young athletes printed by Schlumberger.
Powless hopes to deliver the books from grades four to eight and beyond, and has already delivered books to E.C.G. and I.L. Thomas. She visited J.C. Hill to deliver books on Friday, September 29, and gave the students from her son Kahner Martin’s class books straight from the box.
“I want to have enough to give to everyone,” said Powless.
She made sure to have over one thousand copies of the books so that each student will receive one, and said that being able to organize the donation “feels great.”
“It’s the company [that donated the books], but to be able to pull that together I think it’s a great thing,” she said. “This year [the company’s focus] is to inspire youth in sports, and girls in sports and helping kids to know that if they get stuck in a boundary, there’s a way to over come it.”
With just a phone call and some organization, she was able to get the books donated as a means of keeping sports role models active within the schools. As many youth within Six Nations and New Credit have represented provincial and national teams such as in the Native American Indigenous Games in the past, the books seem to be very timely.
But, along with the reveal of the book donation; Powless’s father will be receiving special recognition in the near future. He will be receiving the Dreamcatcher Sports Award which will be awarded in October and to be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame in Toronto in November.
“It’s overwhelming, because to me he was just my dad. I didn’t think of him as this famous guy,” she marvelled. “It’s different to see this big spot light on him, but it’s humbling.”
Powless will be reciting a speech at the induction ceremony in honour of her father, and the donations of the books helps to continue her father’s and other athletes impact as a sports role models for young athletes.
