From the Sidelines to the Spotlight
- trevor3861
- Oct 6
- 7 min read
Written By Trevor Eliott (Mr Fancy Fez) - Al Shamal Shriners
A Silent Sideline
Every Shrine story has a heartbeat. You can hear it in the laughter at parades, the clink of coffee cups at unit meetings, and the roar of applause when a child walks across a stage after surgery. But sometimes that heartbeat grows faint.
Rykker knew that silence well. For nearly two years, he stood on the sidelines, watching his football team play without him. His shoulder, dislocated too many times, had stolen his place on the field. And behind that injury was another silence — a healthcare system that stalled, delayed, and told his family not yet.
Fourteen months of waiting. Fourteen months of closed doors. Fourteen months of a heartbeat fading.
Until one surgeon whispered the words that changed everything: “Call the Shriners.”
That was the moment the heartbeat came back to life.
The Waiting Game: When Energy Runs Low
When Rykker first started football, he was all drive and enthusiasm — a young man full of Energy, eager to play and to win. But injuries started to chip away at that spark.
“We didn’t get very good advice at the beginning,” his father remembered, “and his shoulder just kept getting worse. We saw a surgeon at the Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic, and he agreed surgery was needed. But because Rykker was only 14 at the time, he had to be treated through the children’s system. That’s where everything got stuck.”
What followed was fourteen months of frustration. Calls to Edmonton. Calgary. Vancouver. Over sixty in total. Each time, the same answer: “He’s under sixteen. We can’t do the surgery.”
Even private clinics were bound by the same rules. Rykker was strong enough to face full-grown opponents, but too young to qualify for surgery. The family was trapped in a waiting game with no end in sight.
His father said quietly, “It was heartbreaking. The doors were shut everywhere.”
If we’re honest, many of our Temples know that feeling. We’ve seen the energy fade — the meetings that grow smaller, the projects that lose steam, the Nobles who stop showing up. We’ve felt the slow quiet of a heartbeat that once thundered with excitement.
But Rykker’s story reminds us of something important: sometimes all it takes to restart the rhythm is one spark of energy — one call that changes everything.
The Game-Changing Call: Visibility and Hope
That spark came from a surgeon who simply said,“You should call the Shriners.”
Rykker’s father had never thought of that. He didn’t even know the Shriners were an option. But the moment he called, everything changed.
“Once I made the call, everything moved quickly,” he said. “The Shriners walked me through every step. After waiting over a year, it took just three months to get in front of the right surgeon.”
Three months — after fourteen months of silence.
Brothers, that’s Visibility. If people don’t know who we are, they can’t call us. If our fez stays in a closet, our mission stays hidden. Rykker’s family didn’t find hope because the system changed; they found it because someone mentioned our name.
That single act of Visibility — a whisper in a hallway — reignited a family’s heartbeat.
Imagine what would happen if we spoke a little louder.
Montreal: Purpose Made Real
The family’s journey led them to Montreal and to a surgeon whose skill was known around the world.
“This was a surgeon who had worked with the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox,” his father said. “If you’re trusted with the shoulders of multi-million-dollar athletes, you know what you’re doing.”
Rykker’s shoulder had been dislocated so often that the bone itself was worn down. The surgeon performed a complex graft, moving bone and muscle and securing everything with screws. He rebuilt not just a joint, but a young man’s confidence.
“They picked us up at the airport. The staff explained everything in detail. They treated Rykker with total respect. Because he was over fourteen, he signed his own consent forms. They made sure he understood everything. We felt like we were in the best hands in the world.”
That is Purpose in action — world-class care delivered with humility, kindness, and respect.
When we remember that this is what our fraternity exists for, our meetings gain meaning again. When we lose sight of it, the heartbeat fades into ritual without rhythm.
Back in the Game: Energy Reborn
Rykker’s surgery was on March 31st. Doctors said it would be five months before he could return to play. He made it back in four.
“His first full game back was last Friday,” his father said proudly. “He felt great. Almost no pain. Better than before.”
Rykker added,
“I missed two years of football. I’m just glad to be playing again.”
Then came the moment every parent treasures.
“As a teenager, you don’t see them smile too often,” his father said, laughing. “But the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen nothing but smiles. That’s priceless.”
That’s what Energy looks like when it’s reignited — not just muscles and motion, but spirit.
Our Temples need that same kind of comeback. We can rebuild structures and repair budgets, but without Energy — without joy — the heartbeat never truly returns.
Dear the Shriners Association,October 2025
Grateful does not even come close to expressing how we feel about your association!
Rykker has been able to resume playing football — he plays for the Harry Ainlay Titans, ranked 1st in both Alberta and Canada! Your association has made his return possible!
Not being able to find a surgeon or hospital willing to operate on him until he was 16 meant he would miss two full football seasons and countless opportunities as a result. The toll on Rykker was more than physical.
The financial commitment you made to our family took pressure off us. You took care of flights, hotel rooms, meals, and taxis to Montreal — twice! Rykker required two surgeries; they postponed his first to ensure it would be successful. The kindness, love, and surgeons are incredible! Thank you for planning everything.
Rykker has been back playing football for about a month, and we can say — his surgery has been a total success! He’s back and stronger than ever.
We don’t even know how to thank you!
With gratitude,❤️ Rick & Andrea”
Lessons for the Shrine
Rykker’s story speaks directly to the four pillars of EMVP:
Energy: When the system said “wait,” we said “go.” The Shrine moved mountains for a child who needed care.
Mentorship: Rykker’s father now tells other coaches, “If you ever have a kid in this situation, call the Shriners.” That’s passing the torch — one experience lighting another.
Visibility: Fourteen months of silence ended the moment someone mentioned our name. Visibility isn’t vanity; it’s how people find hope.
Purpose: The Shriners didn’t just fix a shoulder; they restored dignity and confidence. Purpose turns charity into transformation.
When these four come together, the fraternity’s pulse strengthens. That’s how we reignite the heartbeat.
Bringing It Home: How to Live EMVP in Your Temple
Lead with Energy. Walk into your meetings with enthusiasm. Smile. Shake hands. Start a new idea instead of waiting for one. Energy is contagious.
Be a Mentor. Take five minutes to check in on a new Noble. Ask how he’s doing, invite him to an event, share your own story of why the Shrine matters to you.
Show Our Visibility. Wear your fez proudly. Tell a friend, a coworker, or a Craft Lodge Brother what the Shriners actually do. One conversation can change a life.
Stay Rooted in Purpose. When discussions drift into politics or paperwork, bring it back to the kids. Remember Rykker’s smile. Remember why we joined.
When Energy, Mentorship, Visibility, and Purpose align, we don’t have to chase relevance — it radiates from us.
Reflection Questions
Where has the heartbeat grown faint in my own Shrine journey, and what will it take to reignite it?
Who in my circle could benefit from hearing the Shrine story this week — and will I be the one to tell it?
What moment or memory still reminds me why I became a Noble?
The Priceless Smile
At the end of it all, Rykker’s father didn’t talk about the surgery details or the months of paperwork. He talked about his son’s smile.
Brothers, that smile is the Shrine. It’s the sound of a heartbeat reborn — in a child, a family, and a fraternity.
From the sidelines to the spotlight, from despair to hope, from silence to joy — this is who we are. This is what the Fez represents.
The heartbeat of the Shrine is alive. All it needs is for us to keep it beating.
A Call to Action: Reigniting the Heartbeat Together
If Rykker’s story awakened something inside you — a memory of why you first joined, a reminder of what the Shrine truly stands for, or simply a spark of pride in what we do — don’t let that feeling fade. That stirring you feel? That’s the heartbeat of our fraternity calling you back to purpose.
On March 10, join me as I share the framework of EMVP — Energy, Mentorship, Visibility, and Purpose — and how it can reignite our fraternity from the inside out. This isn’t just another session; it’s a movement. Together, we’ll explore how to renew our passion, strengthen our brotherhood, and ensure that our legacy continues to beat strong for generations to come.
So here’s my ask: mark your calendar, bring a Brother, and come ready to Reignite The Heartbeat.
👉 Sign up today at: https://www.shrinersinternational.org/en/news-and-events/events/2026/sief-presents-shriner-u-reigniting-the-heartbeat
The heartbeat of the Shrine is waiting for us to fan the flame. Let’s not just remember why we joined — let’s live it. ❤️🎩
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