Women of Oilersnation: Sam Costa
By Kyla Lane
2 years agoIf you’re on Twitter, you’re most likely following the next Woman of Oilersnation, Sam in YEG!
You’ll also probably remember her incredible work in helping to raise nearly $40k for the Calgary charity, Brown Bagging For Calgary’s Kids after a heated Battle of Alberta in early 2020.
Today you’ll meet the woman behind this amazing turn of events and get the details on how her original donation of $25 in honour of Kassian turned into $37k!
Last week I featured Oilers fan, super mom, and athlete, Megan DiBartolo-Lange! If you missed it, you can read her feature here!
MEET SAM COSTA
KYLA: Who are you?! What’s your day job, what are your passions, what’s something interesting about you?
SAM: Hi! My name is Sam, most of you will know me as SamInYEG on Twitter. I work in Alberta Public Service in the ministry of Treasury Board & Finance. Outside of hockey, I have a huge passion for baseball (I’m a Yankees fan, try not to hate me for it) and music. Interesting things about me? I’ve been to so many concerts, I’ve lost count. I nearly completed my concert bucket list before I turned 21.
KYLA: How did you get into hockey and sports in general?
SAM: Being a passionate hockey fan runs in the family, I’ve been yelling at the TV with my dad for as long as I can remember. What draws me to sports the most is the feeling you get when celebrating the big moments with such a large community. In those brief moments, whether it be a big goal or a game-tying home run, nothing else matters. You get to feel joy with hundreds or even thousands of other people around you and there’s simply nothing else like it.
KYLA: What’s your favourite Oilers memory?
SAM: This is a hard question, I can’t narrow it down to just one so I’m choosing four:
1. The first game I ever went to, it was in 2006 and we beat the Flames. There was a Flames fan in our section and he was a good sport about it, which made it a great experience.
2. Being in attendance for Gagner’s 8 point night. I got tickets for $20 off of Stubhub and it was incredible to watch.
3. Seeing the Oilers in Nashville last season was incredible. The fans there are unbelievable, even when Draisaitl is single handedly making their team look silly.
4. Going to the last game at Rexall Place. I was in a big group, we were in the standing room only section which was my favourite spot to watch a game from. We had an unspoken rule that anytime someone left to go to the bathroom or get snacks, they had to come back with two beers so that no one was ever left without one. I am positive that my brother Wayne set a record for most Rexall beers consumed in one game and he somehow lived to tell the story.
2. Being in attendance for Gagner’s 8 point night. I got tickets for $20 off of Stubhub and it was incredible to watch.
3. Seeing the Oilers in Nashville last season was incredible. The fans there are unbelievable, even when Draisaitl is single handedly making their team look silly.
4. Going to the last game at Rexall Place. I was in a big group, we were in the standing room only section which was my favourite spot to watch a game from. We had an unspoken rule that anytime someone left to go to the bathroom or get snacks, they had to come back with two beers so that no one was ever left without one. I am positive that my brother Wayne set a record for most Rexall beers consumed in one game and he somehow lived to tell the story.
KYLA: In January 2020, a Flames fan raised money to get Tkachuk billboards in Edmonton after a heated Battle of Alberta. You decided to level up and donate to a Calgary charity in honour of Kassian and shared it on Twitter. What I’m sure you didn’t know at that time was that you would start a trend of donations that would see the Oilers community help to raise and donate a total of $37,000 to Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. Can you take us through this entire story from making the initial donation to raising almost $40k?
SAM: This was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. It all started by simply challenging Oilers fans to make a small donation to a Charity in Kassian’s name as a way to do some good while still poking fun at the Flames.
I didn’t expect it to take off the way it did, but I got to learn pretty quickly how generous and enthusiastic people can be. It didn’t take long for people to get on board and soon after my $25 donation had sparked over $37,000 more.
The Tkachuk billboard money ended up being donated to ALS research, which made it even better. There’s nothing that a sports fan loves more than a good rivalry but it’s even better when you can take that energy and do something good in the community with it. There were no losers in this battle.
KYLA: What did that experience show you about Edmonton and the hockey community?
SAM: It showed me how many kind people there are, not just in Edmonton, but everywhere. We had people making donations from as far as Australia. It was incredibly heartwarming to see how far the hockey community stretched and how many people in it were eager to join a good cause.
KYLA: What does hockey and being a part of the Oilersnation community mean to you?
SAM: It means everything! This community feels like a second family some days. We celebrate together, we get mad together, we laugh and then cry about our failures together. It’s always nice to feel included and accepted by a group of people that share a passion with you.
her Soul Shot shows women how powerful they are through sport by providing resources, community, and inspiration for all women to live their soul’s truth and take their shot in sports.
Learn more on her Soul Shot’s website, listen to the her Soul Shot Podcast and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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