A few years ago, Ryan Perez admittedly was headed down a wrong path in his life.
But an association with a group of people who cared about him set him in the right direction. Now, the 22-year-old Perez, recent winner of a first-ever Calgary Stampede Western Legacy Award, is giving back to the community to help others.
"I've always dreamt of being someone great. I didn't think I could do it because of my financial situation," says Perez. "I didn't do good in school. I had poor grades. And it was not until I met people at African Caribbean United Foundation of Alberta that I changed my whole perspective on things.
"I was going on the wrong path. Young guy hanging with the wrong crowd. They (the foundation) stepped in around when I was 17 years old and they showed me that there was more to life."
Perez thought he would eventually work for somebody else and live paycheque to paycheque. But the mentors he met through the foundation taught him business, martial arts, music — stuff he wanted to do.
"They made my dream," Perez says. "They took the dream and made it alive."
As a result, Perez does graphic design work and is in the music business starting up a record label for various music forms including urban music and hip hop.
Perez captured the Youth Involvement Award from the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. His life transformation a few years ago has led him to make a positive difference in the lives of other Calgary youth through his community work.
He has gone from being a troubled youth to a dynamic personality who advocates youth justice and leadership in the community, and chairs the youth division of the African Caribbean United Foundation. He sits on the Chief of Police Advisory Committee working to promote trust and goodwill between youth and police.
And through his rap music group ALLCITY, Perez preaches a positive lifestyle encouraging youth to stay in school and stay clear of drugs and violence.
"I see for the people in my community there is a need. When I grew up I was not fortunate to receive the things I'm getting now," says Perez.
And that has been the result of people caring for him, helping him out, teaching him to stay with his dreams and not give up. Through his music, Perez is hoping he can keep the dreams alive for many of Calgary's youth.
"I'm just passing along that message and doing it through the music because rap music right now is not promoting a positive image for youth. I want to use my music to help change the way of thinking," says Perez.
The Calgary Stampede Western Legacy Awards were established to celebrate the province's centennial. Besides Perez, other award winners were Dr. Frits Pannekoek in the Innovative Project category and Roy and Lenore McLean in the Sustained Contribution category.
When the Stampede announced the Western Legacy Awards, Steve Allan, chairman of the board and president of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, summed up the importance of the contributions made by Perez and the other honourees: "These awards honour extraordinary individuals who have dedicated their lives to making their community a better place. Whether working behind the scenes or in the glare of the spotlight, these individuals share a community spirit and a dedication to making a positive contribution from which other people will benefit."
Colour photo, Calgary Herald Archive: Ryan Perez, community service award winner, credits his mentors for changing the direction of his life.
