There was a moment last Tuesday morning in the big white tent - forgive me, but I'm a little melancholy and miss it already - when Habitat for Humanity Canada CEO Mark Rogers sat on the other side of a long table. Breakfast - pancakes and sausages, thank you very much - had been served, and the hundreds of volunteers had just made the pilgrimage from the tent to the build site.
Rogers made a comment which struck a nerve. More profoundly, though, it represents the unlimited potential of what Habitat for Humanity can do, and the beacon of opportunity it has.
"I always say that my greatest hope is this," Rogers said with dramatic flair, setting up his next sentence with great expectation.
"Someday, the Prime Minister in this country will be able to say that they were a child that came from a Habitat for Humanity house. What I take pride in is the fact that when I leave the office at night the work that myself and my team have done is meaningful…and somebody is better off as a result of that work. It's the fact that you know you are making a difference in someone's life every day."
In the almost 30 minutes I shared with Rogers, those words resonated the most, simply because they spoke of the untapped potential of the leaders of tomorrow.
Our children.
Yet, for them to grow and hold hopes and dreams of such lofty ambitions of leading Canada - or, for that matter, any other goal - they need a home environment where they can be loved and feel confident that it is OK to shoot for the moon.
"I think what we do in providing families with a chance for affordable homeownership is very important on many levels for children," said Rogers. "If a child knows that they're going to stay in the community, and go to that school…they're going to have a chance to grow up and learn and have fun and build memories.
"And so there's all that magic."
The Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) certainly had a role to play in the build last week. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) donated $250,000 to Habitat for Humanity and assisted OEG in garnering 125 employees who swung hammers throughout the week in Habitat's biggest build in Canadian history.
There are everlasting effects and footprints. And if Mark Rogers' dream does comes true, maybe we'll be the home riding for the future Prime Minister of Canada.
