Turning pain into purpose: how a mother turned her unfathomable loss into a legacy of hope for her two angel sons

When her world went dark before Christmas 2016, Tracy Stark could not have imagined where
life, led by her two angels, would take her and how much light would come with it. After the
murder of her sons, Ryder (13) and Radek (11), Stark promised them that she would keep their
legacies alive and introduce them to the world.
Out of unspeakable darkness, Stark created Nurturing Dreams, Honoring Legacies: The R&R
Empowering Society of Alberta. Both Ryder and Radek were huge hockey fans, carrying their
love for sport throughout their young lives. Now, Stark shares their love of sports with others by
helping underprivileged children and youth across the province have access to extracurricular
activities.
The society first began locally under a different name, but Stark saw an opportunity to reach
more children and eventually changed the name and opened the scope, allowing help to spread
across the province. Just like the R&R heart stickers, which have been placed in locations
around the world, giving Ryder and Radek wings to travel and explore, Stark wanted to be able
to reach further and impact more children.
Along with helping individual youth who need help, the R&R Empowering Society of Alberta
started a goalie camp last year and is doing another one this year. In year one, they welcomed
24 goalies over two days, and the camp was a huge success. This year, they’ve upped it to 36
goalies and added an extra day.
The application deadline, March 31, is fast approaching. “We haven’t chosen any goalies yet.
We have over 60 applications right now, but we will wait until the deadline closes to go through
all the applications. Our group of five people will go through and read them to pick who is
accepted into the camp,” explained Stacy Crossland, Social Media and Marketing for the R&R
Empowering Society of Alberta.
“The camp is for goalies facing financial and extenuating circumstances,” said Crossland. She
said there could be many reasons why someone might apply that aren’t just based on finances,
including divorce, a death in the family, or a lost job. “We don’t want to base it solely on how
much someone makes. We want to hear out everybody.”
Once the deadline comes and the group of five sits down to begin the process of selecting this
year’s goalies, the hard work begins. “It’s very hard to choose. Everybody who applies probably
deserves to be there, and we have to say no, which is really tough. Just like with everything, you
can’t help absolutely everybody, but the more people we can help, the better,” said Crossland.
The camp is free and is for youth from U9 to U18. Crossland said two sports performance
coaches are lined up to speak to attendees this year. “Mental training is a really important part
of being a goaltender. I’m really excited to offer that to them because I know that will help them
immensely going forward.”
Crossland, who worked for the Starks when Ryder and Radek lost their lives, said it is an
honour to join Tracy’s foundation. “I truly believe in what she’s doing and that it’s keeping the
boys’ legacy alive. It’s a passion for me. When the foundation gets to help youth continue to

play sports or get a piece of equipment they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise, it’s satisfying to
see that.”
The camp, which enables kids to participate in something that they wouldn’t have been able to
otherwise due to the cost, is also satisfying, said Crossland. “Not everyone can dish that out for
their child. I know gaining those skills as a goalie is really important to keep moving your game
forward. We wanted to help out in some way.”
Last year, the goalies learned from various guest speakers and goalie coaches, including Koehn
Ziemmer of the LA Kings. “He was a guest shooter, and he signed autographs and hung out for
a bit. It was a great experience. I think the kids left the camp with much more knowledge and
skill than they had coming in,” said Crossland.
This year’s camp will feature special guests, still unnamed, and lots of training opportunities for
kids to grow their skills. Previous members of the Whitecourt Wolverines, including head coach
Shawn Martin, Jaden Leslie, and past goalie Carson Ironside, also took part last year. “It was
great having them join us. The kids loved it.”
For Stark, the camp is another way she brings her boys into her present. “We are all here, doing
this, because Ryder and Radek lost their lives. We are here for one mission: to share Ryder and
Radek’s memory with the world. It started with stickers, and now we are changing kids’ lives.
For me, it is empowering to be able to do that. I’m very humble, and I don’t want recognition. I
just do it because my kids are in me, and they give me the strength to do this every single day.”
Stark said helping children is the purpose she feels called to on behalf of her sons. “Some days,
it’s so hard to wake up and do this and put one foot in front of the other and do this for other
children and do life without my kids. As a grieving mother, you expect to die with your children.
It’s unfathomable that I’ve gone through this, and the only thing I can say is that my children
make me a better person, and I have no doubt that they are pushing me every day.”
With the camp and tournaments they do, Stark said she sees her boys in the smiles and
happiness of attendees. “I see my boys in their faces, in their smiles. I see Ryder and Radek
playing hockey and having fun on the ice. When the kids get their swag bags, I can see Radek
getting his, showing it off, and being so happy about what he got. I envision my kids in these
kids. My kids would be 18 and 21 now, but they were 11 and 13. It brings part of a childhood
back to my life. I see these kids as my kids.”
Stark said she is grateful for the support she has received for the events and fundraisers held to
raise funds for the foundation. “It’s empowering to be part of this and build it. But I don’t do this
alone. Anyone who attends an event, watches a show, buys a ticket, or donates a prize is part
of this community. Together, we are making a difference and changing kids’ lives.”
Sponsorship from Whitecourt and across the province, as well as donations from as far as
Ontario, make the camps and everything else they do possible. “We don’t talk much about who
receives money or who we help. We want to respect the applicants. But we are actively helping
youth throughout the year,” said Crossland.
In just two short years, the R&R Empowering Society of Alberta has helped over forty youths, on
top of those chosen for camps. With each child helped, Ryder and Radek’s legacy continues to
grow. One recent recipient of support was a Taekwondo athlete. “We sponsored him to attend

the Canada and US Opens,” said Stark. “Doing this is my purpose, and my boys are with me
every step of the way.”
Stark and Crossland encourage anyone interested in attending this year’s 2nd Annual Free
R&R Goaltending Camp, which will be held on July 19, 20, and 21 in Edmonton at the
Terwilleger Rec Centre, to submit their applications by March 31. To apply, visit
www.rnrempoweringsocietyofalberta.ca and look under Programs.