When it comes to Variety, the Children’s Charity of Manitoba, Dustin Ready is willing and able.
For more than a decade, Ready has volunteered for the charity, which provides programs, services and specialized equipment to children living with permanent disability or economic disadvantage.
The 43-year-old Wolseley resident has served as a board member, donated prizes to fundraisers and helped with bike camp. Today, he coaches Variety’s Volt hockey program.
Variety volunteer Dustin Ready coaches Volt hockey, an adaptive sports program designed to make the sport accessible to individuals with mobility limitations.
“Volunteering makes my heart full, straight up, so I do a lot of it,” Ready says.
One of the things he most appreciates about Volt is that it’s designed to make hockey accessible to virtually any person living with mobility limitations.
Volt is played as a three-on-three game on an indoor court using three-wheeled electric carts with a hockey stick blade-like plastic paddle attached to the front. Players control their carts, which have multiple speeds, using a single joystick.
Ready, who has a background in coaching youth ice hockey, has coached Volt since Variety brought the program to Winnipeg in 2023. Children and youth ages 10 to 18 gather at Dakota Community Centre Fieldhouse on Sundays from 3-6 p.m. to play.
It’s a big time commitment for Ready, who has two sons and is the co-owner of an HVAC company, but it’s worth it. Occasionally, he feels apprehensive when he arrives, but those jitters disappear as soon as the players show up.
“You get the hugs from all the kids, (and) they’re so happy to be there,” he says. “I’ve never been disappointed that I went.”
Ready got a glimpse of the impact his volunteering has when he assisted with Variety’s bike camp over the summer. When he arrived one day, four Volt players spotted him and rushed over to greet him.
“It shows me the kids are excited to be there, so I must be doing something right,” he says. “My only job is to keep them wanting to come back.”
That’s exactly what Variety looks for in a volunteer, says Jeff Liba, the organization’s CEO, adding Ready genuinely cares about young people, he’s patient and he knows how to encourage participants.
“He’s really a joy to see out there working with the kids on a weekly basis,” Liba says.
Volt hockey is played by more than 50 teams in Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the United States. It was introduced to Canada in 2016 when Variety launched it in Toronto.
There are currently six clubs in Ontario, four in Alberta and two in Manitoba — one in Brandon with 20 participants and the Winnipeg club, which has 15.
“It’s certainly a growing sport in the country,” Liba says. “The reason we brought it to Manitoba to begin with is that, generally speaking, there are not enough recreational opportunities for people living with disabilities.”
For many of the children who play Volt, it’s their first opportunity to learn about teamwork, perseverance and community.
“We’re really focused on making this the best experience they can have,” Liba says.
Variety is looking for volunteers to assist with Volt, sponsors and donors to support the program and more players. Visit wfp.to/varietyvolt for details.
“The biggest thing I can hope for is that more and more kids come out to this,” Ready says. “I guess I kind of enjoy the fact that I can give the parents a bit of a break, too. They get to just come and watch their kids learn and grow in a sport.”
If you know a special volunteer, email aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca.
Aaron Epp
Reporter
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron.
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