Children and youth attending CASA Centre are now able to enjoy a new mural honouring late Edmonton Oilers player Colby Cave.
The mural was commissioned through the Colby Cave Memorial Fund at the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation and Colby’s Kids, initiatives that help support CASA Mental Health’s Day Programs and CASA House.
“Every time a child comes into CASA, they are welcomed into CASA with a Colby Cave knapsack filled with everything they need for their journey at CASA,” says Nadine Samycia, Chief Donor Love Officer. “I like to think of it as a warm hug directly from Colby and Emily to our kids, which is wonderful.”
The new mural celebrates Colby, who passed away in April 2020. Colby and his wife Emily Cave have been avid supporters of mental health.
“Colby and I had a saying, ‘Be somebody that makes everybody feel like a somebody,’” says Emily.
“It’s very bittersweet, seeing all the lives we’ve been able to help through Colby’s Kids and here at CASA. Mental health is extremely important, it’s important to the both of us. I love that together we can still kind of give back and help people so that they don’t feel alone in their struggles and just remind them that they’re somebody too.”
The Cave’s motto can be seen as part of the mural, painted by Edmonton-based artist Rahmaan Hameed, in the CASA Centre gymnasium.
The mural also includes images of Colby’s time with the Edmonton Oilers and the Providence Bruins. A puck with #18 on it references his special friendship with Boston Bruins player Danton Heinen, who donated $1,000 to Colby’s Kids for every goal he scored following Colby’s death, totalling $18,000.
“Every single day our children come to the gymnasium, which is full of laughter, joy, lots of fun and action and they get to see this mural and know that their community supports them, that our hockey community supports them and allows them to have a community that’s backing them up with their mental health journey,” says Nadine.
Emily adds it’s an important reminder that children are not alone when dealing with mental health challenges.
“The mural is amazing and I know that Colby would love it. I say in every interview Colby and I were never to have our own kids together and so I always think of Colby’s Kids like our kids and it’s really special to see murals like this, or see the backpacks or see the Colby’s Kids jerseys.
“It’s kind of like a piece of him that I was left with and it’s helping so many children and it makes me so proud of him.”
