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People dressed in their best green and white will be streaming into REAL District in Regina Friday for George Reed’s celebration of life.
The two-hour service is being held at the International Trade Centre as a way for people to honour and remember the Roughrider great.
At least some other team greats are expected to be in attendance, sharing their stories of Reed.
Kory Sheets is back in Regina for the Plaza of Honour – the 2013 Grey Cup winning team is being inducted. He said on Thursday he was heartbroken to hear about Reed’s passing.
“I was hoping to see him when I came up here this weekend,” said Sheets.
He said the two of them had several conversations over the years.
“He just made me understand what type of person that I could be in this place and why he stayed and things that made me look for the possibilities that I could have,” he explained.
All week, current and former players have been talking about Reed and sharing what he meant to them.
Jamal Morrow, the Riders’ current running back, went to the same school Reed did, Washington State University. Morrow Reed is in the hall of fame at the school and there’s a facility named after him, so prior to arriving in Regina he knew the name, but when he was able to put a face to it, it was surreal.
“When I came up here, you see that impact he had and how successful he was on and off the field,” said Morrow.
“It kind of motivated me to be the better person and even a better player for the organization.”
Morrow talked about the last game at Mosaic Stadium when they showed Reed on the screen and everybody was wow’d.
“For me it was like every time I was able to see his face it was just a reminder of how special he was and what he meant to the whole community and the whole football world,” said Morrow.
The celebration of life is expected to start at 1 p.m. and go until 3 p.m. at REAL District, with the doors opening at 11:30. For those who can’t make it to the event in person, it’s expected to be livestreamed as well.