He's not going to be the man at the mic anymore.
The Dick Irvin of the Yorkton Regional High School will be putting away his morning microphone for good in the next week or so.
He's also going to be putting away the wrestling mats one last time if he hasn't already done so.
He's even helped the cheerleaders from time to time.
His works at the Regional include everything from morning news/sports announcer to student mentor to head wrestling coach, all of which took place at the Yorkton Regional High School.
According to at least six students currently enrolled at the Regional, Garry Gawryliuk was apparently the guy to go to.
Technically, he still is, but only for the next week or so.
By the end of next week, Mr. Gawryliuk will be Mr. Gone (into retirement).
"He's usually the person to go to," attests Rebecca Kriger, female president of the SRC.
The SRC is the student governing body at the Regional and Kriger is not the only SRC member with a few nice things to say about Mr. Gawryliuk.
"He's behind-the-scenes," adds Cordell Young, male president of the SRC.
Of the 1348 students who currently attend the high school, there are probably plenty more of them that will talk about their experiences with one of the schools' mentors.
"I've found him very helpful," suggests Vicky Wickenheiser, one of Gawryliuk's students who performed quite well on the Gawryliuk-led YRHS male/female wrestling team. "He's supportive even if you've lost a match. He's a very good coach."
"It'll be sad if we don't have a (new) wrestling coach," observes Gr. 10 student and Wickenheiser's teammate on the YRHS wrestling squad, Meaghann White.
White is one of the youngsters who advanced to provincials two short years ago, also credits Mr. Gawryliuk for helping to get her that far.
"It may not have been the same without Garry," White added.
She even noted that she's now officially "worried" about the sport's future at the Regional.
The reason everybody seems a little worried about Gawryliuk is that after 21 years, he is leaving.
Come June 30, when he walks out the doors of the YRHS, there's no turning back.
"I'll miss the mostthe connections with the students," he said early on a Monday morning.
By the sounds of some of the SRCs, he had more then a few of them.
"It's a tremendous staff here."
He was more involved in the school then most of the students were. His list of credits included: SRC (Student Representative Council) advisor, cheerleading coach (briefly) wrestling coach (eight long years), educational mentor for the Yorkton Harvest AAA Midget boys' hockey team, Yorkton Junior A Terriers men's hockey club and Melville Millionaires Junior A men's hockey club.
His work involved balancing timetable/hockey schedules, balance sports/education.
He combined interests in both teaching and sports by serving as an educational co-ordinator for the Terriers, Millionaires and the Harvest.
Following his official retirement from the Yorkton Regional High School, Gawryliuk says he fully intends to continue his work with the hockey teams.
Gawryliuk was recognized for all that several years back when he was inducted into the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame, according to a report in the Yorkton News Review last winter.
The report was centred around an award Gawryliuk had won from the Canadian Ukrainian Congress called the Nation Builder Award.
It recognizes important contributions to Canada in the areas of volunteering, leadership, as well as culture.
Other areas of involvement: student councillor and career work experience co-ordinator/teacher.
His work extends far outside the Regional; he's been a Saskatchewan Hockey Association referees division where he sets up all the clinics in the province and sometimes in Manitoba as well as the vital position which sees him oversee the progress of the youngest referees/officials.
Also, he's involved in the Saskatchewan Amateur Wrestling Association and the Softball Saskatchewan Board of Directors.
