Heard of Him?

Everyone has heard of the one individual that is so passionate about his/her favourite sport; it’s like a job to them.

Such was the case of Dave Ash (61) who took a turn for the worse and passed away in Regina Sunday following a 10-year battle with bladder cancer.

He loved his sports and especially Saskatchewan sports, but mostly the CFL’s Roughriders.

If you have heard of Gainer the Gopher it’s almost a legend in Saskatchewan and area.

Ash and Regina’s Don Hewitt were the first men to fill the role of Gainer the Gopher, the Roughriders’ mascot who was introduced in 1977, where Ash spent seven (7) seasons as Gainer.

He (Ash) also founded Dash Tours in 1979 and remained active with the Regina-based company while dealing with the disease.

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He attended every Grey Cup game, with the exception of 2015, after starting the company.

Ash was in Winnipeg for the 2015 Grey Cup Festival, but watched the contest on television due to health concerns about being outside.

Most everyone was familiar with him all in part due to his “attention-grabbing” outfits that often proclaimed his passion for the Riders.

“He made it fun for his clients,’’ said Hewitt, a sports anchor and producer with CTV-Regina who was friends with Ash for more than 40 years. “He wasn’t afraid to stick his nose out with a helmet and a light on his head.’’

Hewitt said that one of Ash’s proudest moments came after the men’s hockey gold-medal game at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

He (Ash) supplied the huge flag that was carried by Sidney Crosby and other members of Canada’s team after clinching the gold medal. Ash later donated the flag to the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hewitt added that Saskatchewan’s 43-40 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the 1989 Grey Cup game was another highlight of Ash’s many tours.

“The 1989 Grey Cup game stood out because it was so unexpected and such a shootout,’’ Hewitt said. “Those are the two things that stood out for him.’’

Ash started Dash Tours while working out of his parents’ basement. He also was employed as a producer with CKCK-TV, but he eventually left the station to focus on his tour business.

Dash Tours has grown to include concerts tours, national and international figure skating events as well as professional sports.

He is survived by his wife Saphyre and a memorial service is to be held March 4th at 2 pm at the Regina Funeral Home and Cemetery.