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The Executive Director of Alberta Dreams discusses the charity’s work, their relationship with League1 Alberta, and how people can contribute to their growth.

Much attention is given to the action on the League1 Alberta pitch, but there are just as many important people and organizations off it.

Alberta Dreams is one of these organizations and was formed in 1986 to support children with severe, chronic, and life-threatening medical illnesses fulfil their wishes and aspirations.

Reuel was recruited for the organization – then named The Rainbow Society of Alberta – to help them through a transition period, and coming out of COVID, he wanted to make a better impact on the world and on other people.

He took his experience from working with other not-for-profits straight into the new role. Reuel and the team implemented a brand change to Alberta Dreams and aimed to reach out to find impactful partners – one of which was Alberta Soccer.

“Alberta Soccer are the go-to for football in the province,” said Reuel for league1alberta.com. “We wanted to align ourselves with organizations that had similar values to us, like fair play and opportunity for everyone, because that is a really important piece of who we are.

“Having a brief conversation with Lisa Grant [Executive Director at Alberta Soccer], she made it clear about the alignment between our values, and so it just seemed like a natural fit for us to partner with an organization as wonderful as Alberta Soccer.

“Letting people know who we are and what we do is crucial, and with Alberta Soccer, a large part of their demographic of clients are the same families that we serve, so it is about being able to get the word out and raise awareness.

“Any child who is between the ages of three and 18 years of age who is facing a severe, chronic, or life-threatening medical condition can qualify for our program, and so we want to be able to share that message.”

Reuel feels very passionate about the impact and importance of sport for communities, especially the families he helps every day.

“Sport really brings joy and opportunity; it is more than just entertainment and that is a really important thing.

“I have three children, they all play sports, and one of the things that I love about it is that it teaches them how to win, it teaches them how to lose, it teaches them how to get along with people, it teaches them leadership skills and it generally allows for so many really important life lessons.

“Partnering with a sports organization allows us to give an avenue for our families to see things that are beyond what they would normally experience. What would it be like to be a professional player? What is behind the scenes? What goes on in the locker room? What happens on the pitch? What sorts of things can I aspire to?

“It is the opportunity for us to use sport as a conduit to teach children that they can be bigger than their circumstances. We are one piece of the puzzle that helps them think about life beyond just their really tough personal circumstances and medical challenges.

“That is the importance of sport, it’s knowing that you have someone to rely on, you have someone in your corner who is supporting you, who is working just as hard to make sure that you can fulfil whatever that goal is.”

One dream that has been fulfilled is Reeghan’s, who was born with cerebral palsy, is legally blind and deaf, and has a paralyzed vocal cord. Her dream was to go to a power soccer camp.

“Right after COVID, that was one of the first dreams that we fulfilled. Once travel was permitted again, we sent Reeghan to the US to go to the power soccer camp and she had a wonderful experience.

“Her goal at that time seemed kind of crazy, but it was to someday make it to the Canada Soccer power soccer team and so we thought we would help.

“Fast forward a couple of years, and Reeghan is a member of Team Canada’s squad, so what a cool opportunity to be able to celebrate, and to see that dream come full circle.

“It was an awesome opportunity for her, as a member of Team Canada, to be able to talk about the importance of her sport and where that brings her, but also the opportunity to inspire other children, able or less-abled children, who can dream about and aspire to be bigger than their circumstances, and that is at the heart of what we do.”

As part of the partnership between Alberta Dreams and Alberta Soccer, Reeghan and another former Alberta Dreams child, Ali, did the ceremonial ball drops to begin the 2025 League1 Alberta season.

“After the ceremony, Ali looked at me and said this had been the coolest experience. This was beyond having his dream come true which was a bedroom makeover to help him be more mobile in his own home.

“Ali was able to stick around and watch the entire League1 Alberta game, and we were fortunate enough to have a former Uganda player Peter Makanga [pictured below] watching the match.

“They had a great conversation about football in general and all the things it brings. Ali had questions about his experience playing professionally and for his national team, and the toughest teams he played against.

“It was a full-circle moment for us as an organization to see Ali and Reeghan beyond their initial dreams.”

Whether it is providing a once in a lifetime trip to spark their imagination or helping a child decorate their space to make it a more enjoyable and relaxing retreat , Alberta Dreams continues to be one of the crucial parts of the Alberta province.

“Financial contributions are always important, but we understand that people can support in many different ways. That includes sharing our message, telling their friends, associates or someone in their network, about who we are and what we do.

“It is helping us at an event as a volunteer or helping us with a fundraiser. We are always looking for dream-makers, and we call them dream-makers because they help make dreams come true.

“Everyone who supports us, whether as a volunteer or a donor, in some way, shape, or form, is part of our dream-maker family.

“And we want to welcome as many Albertans as possible to that family.”