Release: Olympians Honoured at Olympic Hall of Fame Gala
June 7, 2014
OLYMPIANS HONOURED AT 2014 CANADIAN OLYMPIC HALL OF FAME GALA AND INDUCTION CEREMONY
Guests enjoy night of star-studded entertainment as over $2 Million are raised for Canadian Olympic Foundation and legacy coach fund in Calgary
CALGARY – Last night, $2,033,160 to support athletes were raised as close to 1,400 athletes, coaches and guests attended the star-studded 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony at the Saddledome in Calgary, concluding the three day series of events throughout Ottawa and Alberta for this year’s Celebration of Excellence.
The evening kicked off with a performance from Cirque du Soleil, who wowed the crowd with their world-renowed act. The night continued with roof-lifting performances by Roch Voisine, Brett Kissel, Andee, Frédéric Darveau and Whip Cream Band, Oliver Jones, Daniel Clarke Bouchard and Alyssa Reid. CBC’s Scott Russell and two-time Olympic champion Catriona Le May Doan kept the audience entertained as the evening’s hosts.
“The 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony was amazing,” said Hayley Wickenheiser, six-time Olympian and five-time Olympic medallist. “From Cirque du Soleil to Alyssa Reid and Roch Voisine, the audience were loving every minute. Thank you to the Canadian Olympic Committee for a fantastic night.”
During the evening, 14 people were inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame and honoured for their contributions to the Canadian Olympic Movement. The 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame inductees included: Kyle Shewfelt, three-time Olympian and Olympic gold medallist; Cindy Klassen, three-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medallist; the Beijing 2008 Men’s 8 Rowing Team; Marcel Lacroix, speed skating coach; Ralph Klein, former Premier of Alberta; Pat Quinn, ice hockey coach; and Richard Garneau, sport journalist who covered 23 Olympic Games.
“The 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame Gala and Induction Ceremony was a magnificent celebration,” said Marcel Aubut, President, Canadian Olympic Committee. “The performances were world-class, and it was very special to witness our 14 inductees be honoured for their contributions to the Canadian Olympic Movement. Congratulations to all of our inductees and everyone on a fantastic night.”
The Gala also announced the first ever Randy Starkman Olympic Humanitarian Award, established to honour the memory of the late Canadian sports writer. Acknowledging Canadian Olympians who are examples in their communities on and off the field of play, the award was presented to Heather Moyse and Jesse Lumsden.
Proceeds from the Gala will go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation supporting the next generation of high performance athletes and coaches to ensure sustainable podium success in Canada. Coaching is a significant gap for development athletes and the Canadian Olympic Committee is proud to be leaving an investment in Alberta as a legacy coaching program to support the next generation of Olympians based here.
The Canadian Olympic Committee would like to thank their volunteers and the following partners for making this event successful: RBC, Calgary Hotel Association, Calgary Flames, Coca-Cola Company, Suncor, TransCanada, AltaLink, BMW Group Canada, Calgary Stampede, Canadian Pacific Rail, Sport Chek, Edmonton Events, General Mills, Molson, Richmond Olympic Oval, Air Canada, Blackout Design, Christie Lites, E = MC2, FM Systems, Centennial Food Service/Sterling Silver Premium Beef, Pevnick Design, Solotech, Tandem Wine Selection, Federal Government, Agropur Dairy Cooperative, Fine Cheese Business Unit with Agropur Signature, OKA products, Province of Alberta, Hudson’s Bay Company, City of Calgary, Proctor and Gamble, City of Edmonton, Sysco, Cobs Bread, Desjardins, Elevateauctions.com, Extension Concepts, Laser Quantum, Ottawa Tourism, ProFX, Steinway Piano Gallery, SunGold Speciality Meats, Yan Haute Pâtisserie and Cirque du Soleil.
For photos taken at the Gala and throughout the day at various events, please visit: http://bit.ly/1nPnpmz and photos.paralympic.ca.
For broadcast-quality B-roll, please visit: SendtoNews.com
For more information on the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, please visit: http://wp.me/P3DwEw-Xn
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Canadian Olympic Committee Media Office:
Jane Almeida, Senior Manager, Media Relations
Tel: 416-324-4120 / Cell: 416-540-1788
Email: jalmeida@olympic.ca
Luc Beaudin, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations
Cell: 514-206-6720
Email: lbeaudin@olympic.ca