YORKTON - Saskatchewan Roughrider Shawn Bane Jr. – on the injured list so far this season – had the opportunity to do something outside the game which he said will always be remembered.
Bane Jr., a World Vision Canada (WVC) ambassador, recently travelled to Kenya during the off-season to witness firsthand the challenges faced by those who don’t have access to clean water.
The CFL and WVC are collaborating to raise awareness of global water scarcity and its impact on the worldwide community. Every seven hours, a child’s life is saved thanks to WVC’s water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and World Vision’s upcoming Rhythms of Change campaign seeks to inspire Canadians to join the movement for universal access to clean water.
“It was an absolute blast,” Bane Jr. told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview, adding he went into the trip not really sure what to expect.
What he found was a trip that was very eye-opening.
“It was a pretty unique experience,” said Bane Jr..
Bane Jr. said it was not always easy seeing some of the hardships faced by people there often over things we take for granted.
“That was definitely the difficult part . . . you want to help them all,” he said.
It also created an element of self-reflection on what we just take for granted.
“It gave a different perspective – how spoiled we are,” said Bane Jr., pointing to how we turn on a tap and they have to haul their water “a necessity of life.”
Globally, at least two billion people do not have access to safe drinking water, and six in 10 diarrhea-related deaths are attributed to unsafe drinking water, poor hygiene and sanitation.
Bane Jr. said that was really what the trip was about, raising awareness of the hardships faced, with the hope people consider helping change things.
“That’s the goal with the platform; getting the story out to as many people as we can,” he said, adding the message is a simple one “they need help.”
Certainly for Bane Jr. the trip moved him.
“For me it will definitely be lasting. I’ll never forget this trip. It’s hard to put into words . . . It was so humbling,” he said.
The Roughriders have Bane Jr. signed to a two-year contract extension through the current season.
Bane Jr. (5’9-178) enjoyed a breakout season for the Roughriders in 2023, writing himself into the Rider history books along the way. The speedy receiver played all 18 games last season and made 93 receptions, ranking eighth all-time in Roughrider history, detailed a team release. He tallied 1,104 yards, the highest total by a first-year Rider receiver since Weston Dressler in 2008, while averaging 11.9 yards per catch and adding four aerial touchdowns.
Bane Jr. initially joined the Roughriders in February of 2023, after spending the previous three seasons (2020-2022) with the Calgary Stampeders. Over that time, he played in 13 games with the Stamps, making 24 receptions for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned 25 punts for 262 yards and 14 kickoffs for 294 yards. Prior to playing in the CFL, the Florida signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft and attended training camp with the team, continued the team release.
Collegiately, he played four seasons (2015-18) at Northwest Missouri State. He logged 212 catches for 3,363 yards and 31 touchdowns over 48 games, and added 58 kickoff returns for 1,286 yards and 74 punt returns for 878 yards. Two of the punt returns produced a TD. Bane Jr. earned Second-Team All-MIAA honours as a receiver in all four of his seasons as a Bearcat.
