Program in the Province
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COURTESY OF NOVA SCOTIA GAMING Support4Sport is the largest source of funding for amateur sport in Nova Scotia. Visit support4sport.ca Title Sponsor’s Message elcome to the 2020 Support4Sport Awards! We are thrilled to be back supporting the most prestigious Wsport awards in Nova Scotia. Support4Sport has been a proud supporter of amateur sport in Nova Scotia for over a decade. In 2006, Nova Scotia Gaming partnered with Sport Nova Scotia to create the first dedicated revenue program in the province. This program has since raised over $42 million for community groups, provincial and community sport organizations, coaches, officials and athletes in Nova Scotia and is now the largest source of funding for amateur sport in our province. At Nova Scotia Gaming, we believe that sport goes far beyond the physical benefits, it brings people together and builds communities while teaching us qualities like teamwork and leadership. Everyone that has been honoured with these awards exemplifies excellence in sport, and we are proud to celebrate with you. On behalf of Nova Scotia Gaming and the Support4Sport Program, I would like to extend our congratulations to everyone. We are inspired by your dedication, perseverance and commitment to excellence in sport. Bob MacKinnon, President & CEO Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation Sport Nova Scotia’s Welcome n behalf of Sport Nova Scotia, thank you for helping us celebrate the hard work and perseverance Odemonstrated by athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, families, sponsors, and sport organizations across the province. The provincial sport sector is a tight-knit community, and it’s been enlightening to see you pull together and support one another as we all do our best to navigate the global pandemic. From creative social media campaigns to video conference workouts, your commitment to sport is inspiring. Sport Nova Scotia and our provincial sport organization members embody over 160,000 Nova Scotians and these recipients represent the best of the best. This is an opportunity for us to reflect on all of the hard work each and every candidate has put in over the past year. You’ve all made a positive imprint on the sport sector and you should be very proud. We’ll be presenting over 200 awards this year, and we’re delighted to have our title sponsor here with us. Through their program Support4Sport, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation has provided over $42 million to Nova Scotian communities and amateur sports since 2006. This evening wouldn’t be possible without them. Farida Gabbani, Chair Sport Nova Scotia Board of Directors 3 COMMUNITY SPORT ORGANIZATION AWARDS This award recognises community sport organizations for the incredible work they do to deliver sport opportunities to Nova Scotians. The award highlights the individuals and teams that make it all happen. They strive for excellence in how they operate, how they collaborate, innovate, lead, and, in some cases, use sport as a tool to create positive social change. SPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AWARDS The Sport Makes a Difference Award is presented to candidates who create, establish or initiate an innovative program, competition or event or demonstrate an outstanding example of fair play, thereby improving the sport system in Nova Scotia. PROVINCIAL SPORT ORGANIZATION AWARDS Sport Nova Scotia recognizes that there are many individuals who have excelled in their sport in the past year. To pay tribute to these individuals, Sport Nova Scotia presents the volunteer, official, coach, team, junior male athlete, junior female athlete, senior male athlete and senior female athlete of the year awards to those individuals selected by their provincial sport organization. Provincial Sport Organization volunteers and sponsors of the year are also recognized at the Support4Sport Awards. SUPPORT4SPORT AWARDS The Support4Sport Awards are the best of the best. The winners of these overall awards are selected from the entire pool of Provincial Sport Organization Award winners in the following categories: official, coach, team, junior male athlete, junior female athlete, senior male athlete and senior female athlete of the year. Sport Nova Scotia follows the Sport Canada judging process, appointing two different selection committees. Each committee is comprised of leaders of our provincial sport organizations, representatives from the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic, the media and community stakeholders. Rankings are tabulated and the winners are announced tonight. SPORT NOVA SCOTIA CHAIR AWARD The Sport Nova Scotia Chair Award recipient is selected by Sport Nova Scotia’s Chair of the Board of Directors. It is presented to an individual/family who has made a special and significant contribution to the development of sport in Nova Scotia and has had an impact on the quality of sport in the province. 4 5 Provincial Sport Organization VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Alpine Ski ~ David Todd Baseball ~ Randy Crouse David has earned a reputation as the BNet guy. A long- Randy spearheaded the plan to construct a fully time volunteer, David is instrumental in every aspect accessible ballfield in Antigonish. After raising more when it comes to acquiring, installing, monitoring, than $500,000, the field became a reality when it putting away and storing BNet. This is a critical officially opened in July 2019. Randy also oversees function for Alpine Ski athletes to be safe during races Antigonish Challenger Baseball and is the provincial and David does it all without complaint, even making and national coordinator for Challenger Baseball, it fun with humorous BNet party emails. Dave and his which provides an opportunity for youth and adults fellow volunteers are affectionately referred to as Dave with cognitive and/or physical disabilities to enjoy the Todd and his Merry Band of BNetters. game. More than 300 athletes participate provincially and Challenger Baseball Canada now totals more than Artistic Swimming ~ Lezlie Lowe 8,000 athletes. Randy’s passion has rubbed off on his Lezlie became chair of the board with Atlantis in 2016 son, Gehrig, eight, who completed his first year as a and has worked hard to boost numbers in the pre- Challenger Baseball buddy and mentor. competitive age categories to build a stronger base for the club. This change — a group effort of successive Basketball ~ Lori Shea boards and, while led by Lezlie, driven in tandem with Lori is a dedicated volunteer who helps Basketball Atlantis head coach Ally Merrill — has resulted in a Nova Scotia in multiple roles. In 2019, Lori was the doubling of Atlantis’s recreational enrolment, and the team manager for two provincial teams that travelled club’s national stream teams moving from consistent to Victoria, B.C. She managed planning, fundraising bottom-two placement to solidly middle-of-the-pack. and budgeting for the teams. Lori also helped BNS This year, Atlantis had an athlete invited to national with sourcing and managing volunteers and handled team trials for the first time. seedings for provincial championships. She’s always on top of her many tasks and is able to manage challenging Athletics ~ Ed James situations as they arise. Ed is the utility player every organization wants, going above and beyond in filling several roles. Whether Bicycle ~ Brianne Steinman dealing with hurdles, steeplechase barriers, blocks or The community voted her as the volunteer of the lane marker logistics, Ed is there to capably handle year for her contribution to cycling through her race it. He sits as a member-at-large on the ANS board of photographs. Brianne captures the action and great directors, and also filled the role of interim co-chair of moments in the sport. the ANS board in the fall as the search continued for a permanent chair. Ed was a key figure in taking care Blind Sports (Goalball) ~ Cathy Sawler of equipment logistics for last summer’s 2019 Legion Cathy has been part of the Blind Sports Nova Scotia Youth National Championships in Cape Breton. board of directors since 2016. She has served as treasurer for the past two years, managing all the finances for the organization. In amateur sport, this is a critical role and, despite having a busy career, Cathy keeps the organization running smoothly. 6 Provincial Sport Organization VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR Boxing ~ Greg Martin Figure Skate ~ Rozanne Raine Greg has spent more than 40 years as a coach. He Rozanne has been giving back to the skating community continues to coach, alongside his son, Daniel, at the for the past 35 years. All skating officials are volunteers Membertou Boxing Club, a club that offers free boxing and give their time for the training necessary to give to anyone wanting to learn the sweet science. Greg even more time when test days and competitions has also served eight terms in various positions on happen. Rozanne is a gold evaluator and junior level the executive of Boxing Nova Scotia and in 2019 was judge doing almost every competition and test day that elected BNS president. has been held in Nova Scotia this year. In addition, she has coordinated both the attendance of other officials Cross Country Ski ~ Lorenzo Caterini at these events and their training. Lorenzo is selfless in his dedication to the Halifax Nordic Ski Club (HNSC) and works tirelessly to make Golf ~ Bill MacMillan skiing possible and accessible. He has been the driving Bill has been volunteering with the NSGA for force behind the very successful relationship between more than 30 years and in 2019 received Golf HNSC and Brunello Golf Club and especially the Canada’s Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year award. fundraising and technical work to create the ‘snowbowl’ He works tirelessly as a referee, course rater and a board at Brunello — with snowmaking equipment and lights member at the provincial and national levels. During for night skiing. The snowbowl is a game changer for his 35 years with the NSGA, Bill rated over 2,400 HNSC as it enables the club to hold consistent weekly holes in seven provinces and two states.