A ceremony will be held in Regina Friday afternoon to honour George Reed, the former Saskatchewan Roughrider who died last weekend.
Reed, who died at 83, wore green and white throughout his 13-year career, retiring as the CFL’s greatest rusher. After football, he was a devoted philanthropist with the Special Olympics and established his own foundation that supports projects to help people with physical or mental disabilities.
Friday’s celebration of life ceremony will be held at the Viterra International Trade Centre. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. CST, but the ceremony starts at 1 p.m. CST. The public is welcome.
“He’s one of the most influential figures in the history of the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” said team president and CEO Craig Reynolds.
“He inspired a generation — and that generation passed down the love of him and the love of the Roughriders on to them, and we’ll continue to do that to the next generation.”
Reed was born in Vicksburg, Miss., but his family moved to Renton, Wash., when he was a young child.
He enrolled at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., in 1958. He suited up for the WSU Cougars the following year — at the time, freshmen were ineligible to play — and starred as fullback until graduating in 1962.
Featured VideoSaskatchewan will be honouring one of the greatest players to wear the green and white this weekend. Premier Scott Moe declared in honour of all his community contributions, Oct. 7 will be George Reed Day in Saskatchewan.
He first moved to Regina after signing with the Roughriders in 1963. When he retired in 1975, he had run for 16,116 yards and 134 touchdowns — both CFL records at the time. Mike Pringle (16,425 yards) has since surpassed Reed’s yardage, but the touchdown record still stands.
The Roughriders made it to four Grey Cup matches during Reed’s career. The club was victorious in 1966 against the Ottawa Rough Riders, with Reed named the game’s most valuable player.
Reed’s football legacy has been immortalized in myriad halls of fame, and his No. 34 is one of only eight jersey numbers the Riders have retired.
His name lives on in other ways locally.
Mosaic Stadium sits along George Reed Way in Regina. A statue of Reed stands outside the stadium.
In 1973, the City of Regina proclaimed Oct. 7 as George Reed Day — then, by order of the Saskatchewan government, the date was changed to Oct. 34.
On Thursday, the provincial government extended the holiday, proclaiming Oct. 7 as George Reed Day throughout the province of Saskatchewan.
“He was a great man. But he was most proud of being here in Saskatchewan,” said Georgette Reed, his daughter and an Olympian in her own right, during a news conference Thursday.
“Once he got here, he realized that this was a place where he can make so many dreams come true. Dreams for our family, dreams for the Roughriders and dreams for the province.”
In 1978, Reed was invested into the Order of Canada — the country’s highest civilian honour — for his greatness on the field and his work with people living with disabilities. He received the Saskatchewan Order of Merit in 2013.
He was one of the Special Olympics’ first celebrity ambassadors, helping bring a chapter to Saskatchewan. Then, in 1975, he established the George Reed Foundation.
The foundation and the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation have created the George Reed Legacy Fund, money from which will go toward Special Olympics Saskatchewan and Mother Teresa Middle School.
Reed and his family moved to Calgary in the 1980s, but eventually he and his wife Angie returned to Regina.
Reed died in his home one day before his 84th birthday.
In addition to Friday’s service, the Roughriders will hold a ceremony at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday shortly before kick-off between the Riders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.