UPEI and Holland College host first Women in Sport celebration on March 13
UPEI and Holland College will celebrate the achievement of women in sport across Canada at their first Women in Sport dinner, featuring Canadian women's hockey star Cassie Campbell as guest speaker, at the Culinary Institute of Canada, on March 13, at 7 p.m.
The dinner, which will be emceed by Matt Rainnie, of CBC Radio's Mainstreet program, will be hosted by both post-secondary institutions, and their athletes who represent their school colors with great pride.
Mike Redmond, Coach of the UPEI's women's soccer team, and Albert Roche, Manager of Student Services and Athletics with Holland College, are the driving force behind this event.
"This event will not only be a celebration of Women in Sport, but also will also be a tremendous vehicle to promote varsity opportunities for female athletes,' says Roche. 'Partnering with UPEI on this project illustrates our joint commitment to Island athletes and our integrated approach towards varsity sports development on PEI.
Redmond and Roche are thrilled that Campbell agreed to be the guest speaker at this inaugural event.
'It is with great pleasure that we welcome Cassie Campbell as our guest speaker to our first ever women in sport dinner,' said Redmond. 'Cassie is an example of what hard work and determination are all about in both the athletic and professional world. She is one of the best known female athletes in Canada and around the world, it will be great to hear the message she delivers. Our continued cooperation with Holland College allows both institutions to grow and prosper in the very challenging world of College and University Athletics.'
At age five, Campbell laced up her first pair of skates. As the former Captain of Canada's National Women's Hockey Team and a heroine of Canadian sport, she has taken part in three Winter Olympic Games, seven International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's Championships, nine Four Nations Cups and the Torino Ice Tournament. Her teams have won 21 medals in total, including 17 gold medals and four silver medals.
Campbell joined Hockey Night in Canada as a rinkside reporter after retiring from professional hockey in August 2006. On October 14, 2006, Campbell became the first woman to do colour commentary on a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast.
She holds an honours sociology degree from the University of Guelph, and runs an annual street hockey tournament that raises over $200,000 a year for Ronald McDonald House. Along with Hall of Famers Bobby Orr and Mike Bossy, she is a spokesperson for Chevrolet Safe and Fun Hockey Program.
Her hometown of Brampton, Ontario, recently broke ground on the Cassie Campbell Community Centre, and Prince Edward Island officially named March 14 Cassie Campbell Day. Earlier this year, she was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. In October 2007 she was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
Bold, dynamic, and passionate, Campbell draws on her accomplishments as the captain of the gold-medal winning Canadian Women's Olympic Hockey Team to explore the themes of leadership, teamwork, motivation, and determination. A lively, passionate, and engaging speaker, she knows firsthand about the key roles that teamwork, determination, and great leadership play at the most challenging times.
Tickets for the dinner are $75 each or $600 for a table of eight. The evening will include a live and silent auction to raise funds to help both institutions support female varsity programs and athletic awards. For more information or for tickets, contact Lynn Boudreau at (902)566-0991 or lboudreau@upei.ca, or Nadine Stavert at 566-6977 or nrstavert@hollandc.pe.ca.
