There were Boxing Day-style lineups last Tuesday at the Yorkton Co-op but they had nothing to do with the latest sales available. The Yorkton Co-operative Association Limited presented a "Saskatchewan Roughrider Signing" this past Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 4) at their Yorkton location.
Linebacker Jerrell Freeman as well as running back Hugh Charles met with upwards of 600 fans.
Along with the signing session, the Yorkton Minor Football Association held a fundraiser BBQ.
As part of the ongoing support to the Children's Hospital Foundation by both the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club and the Co-operative Retailing System, the Yorkton Co-op store will be donating $500 to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan.
Cooper, the Co-op mascot was also on-hand giving away items to the kids who attended.
The radio station was also there doing remotes live on the scene.
The line up for the BBQ was impossible to not notice, full of kids and adults, alike, for a good three hours.
Bruce Thurston, general manager, Yorkton Co-operative Association Limited, said after the day came to an end it was a huge turnout, just as he had suspected.
"Yes, we did," he responded when asked if he had expected to see that many people drop off work early to get out and meet their gridiron heros.
He added that the Yorkton Minor Football BBQ was a big part of it.
Thurston added that in order to get the opportunity to host a Saskatchewan Roughrider autograph session, he had to submit a proposal.
"We put a proposal together to see if we could get an autograph signer outit could be a fundraiser for Yorkton Minor Football (too)," he pointed out.
He estimated that there were about 600 hot dogs, which were available to each fan for only a donation, were served that afternoon.
"It's for the community of Yorkton," he noted. "We're doing it for them."
The Riders themselves said community events such as the one in Yorkton are part of 5-6 which they usually find themselves doing year-to-year. Each appearance that members of the football club do goes on for two hours, said Charles.
