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Vancouver Canadians
Vancouver Canadians Experience — Celebrity for a Day
Approx. retail value — priceless
- Ten (10) tickets to a Tuesday-Thursday 2023 Vancouver Canadians home game
- Throw out the A&W Ceremonial first pitch
- One commemorative baseball signed by 2011 All-Star and former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ricky Romero
- One commemorative baseball signed by 3x All-Star and former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Vernon WELLS
- Two (2) Vancouver Canadians baseball hats
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks Hockey Date Night
Approx. retail value $2,000
- Two (2) Club tickets to Vancouver Canucks vs Las Vegas Nights on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
- One (1) night stay at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Breakfast for Two (2) at the Notch8 Restaurant at The Fairmont
- Authentic Canucks signed jersey
Salt Spring Island
Salt Spring Island Getaway
Approx. retail value $1,200
- Two (2) night stay at ‘The Cottages’ on Salt Spring Island
- $100 gift certificate to Moby’s Pub
- $40 gift certificate to Salt Spring Cheese
- Two (2) pairs of Dragon Sunglasses
Sun Peaks Resort
Sun Peaks Summer Adventure
Approx. retail value $1,400
- Four (4) night stay at Trail’s Edge at Sun Peaks Resort
- One (1) round of golf for four (4) with shared power cart
- $100 Chevron gift card
- $50 Triple O’s gift card
honoured
Guests
honourary chair
Bobby Singh
Football — BC Lions offensive lineman (Alumni), Grey Cup champion
After graduating from high school, Bobby earned a full football scholarship to the University of Hawaii, where he spent 3 years.
Bobby was a scholar athlete for two years and his hard work in the classroom earned him a spot on the Academic All Conference team in his sophomore year. He then transferred to Portland State University (PSU), where he continued his hard work in the classroom. He was named to the Big Sky All Conference Academic team and was also named Portland State University’s Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1998. Bobby graduated with a degree in Sociology.
Bobby played 10 years of professional football and is the only professional football player to win a Super Bowl (St. Louis Rams, Super Bowl XXXIV), XFL (Los Angeles XTreme, XFL Championship 1), and a Grey Cup Championship (BC Lions, 93rd Grey Cup).
His success is not limited to the football field. Currently, Bobby is a Vancouver-based businessman/entrepreneur with several companies including being the President and CEO of SBS Facility Services, a family owned business which is in its 10th year. Aside from dabbling in real estate and Investments, Bobby is a co-founder in Vanish Messenger, an encrypted messaging app as well as tech start-up Tranzlate Technologies.
Bobby is active in various volunteer and community projects, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vancouver, the Zajac Ranch for Children, the Richmond Raiders Minor Football Association, and is the founder of the non-profit football camp Down Set Hut Football. From 2005 to 2007, Bobby was elected as a trustee on the Richmond School Board.
master of ceremonies
Rob Fai
CKNW 980 & 640 Toronto radio personality, Nation Extreme Wrestling President & former voice of the Vancouver Canadians
Rob Fai is the broadcaster for the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club, proud affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays as well as host of Rob Fai Nation Radio on TSN.
Rob has been the voice of professional baseball in Vancouver since 2007 and debuted as part of the Canadians broadcast team in 1998. In 2017, Rob was inducted into the Vancouver Canadians Broadcast & Journalism Hall of Fame.
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Rob moved to Vancouver in 1994 and quickly found his way onto the Vancouver sports media scene covering all sports including the Canucks, 86ers (Whitecaps), BC Lions and eventually the Vancouver Grizzlies where he would report on the NBA team for its entire tenure in the Pacific Northwest.
In addition to Rob’s duties behind the microphone out at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, he is also the driving force behind the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation (VCBF) which he helped develop back in 2010. Since its inception, the VCBF has helped over 1,000 local children receive the opportunity to play organized baseball and created scholarships for both Challenger Baseball as well as the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds baseball program.
Rob’s voice is not just limited to baseball as he is also heard on the EA Sports NHL Hockey series, which is one of the world’s most acclaimed video games.
Residing in Port Port Coquitlam, Rob lives with his wife, Christina, and two children, Nolan & Jayda.
keynote speaker
Corey Hirsch
Hockey — Olympic silver medalist, Vancouver Canucks alumni
Born in Medicine Hat and raised in Calgary, Corey was drafted by the New York Rangers and played for many seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. After retiring from play, Hirsch became an NHL coach for elite goaltenders and prospects, and later an analyst with Sportsnet. Dedicated to ending the stigma of mental health, he is also a co-host of The Players’ Tribune podcast, Blindsided. In October 2022 Corey released his first book — The Save of My Life — a compelling look behind the mask of a professional hockey player that offers both understanding and hope to anyone living with mental illness.
host
Athletes
host athlete
Sukh Chung
FOOTBALL — BC LIONS OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Sukh is a Canadian football offensive lineman for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with the second overall pick of the 2015 CFL Draft. He played in eighteen games for the Blue Bombers during the 2015 season.
Shortly afterthe 2015 CFL draft, the Bombers signed Sukh to a two-year contract, which extended through the 2015 and 2016 CFL seasons. He played CIS football at University of Calgary and attended Terry Fox Secondary School in Port Coquitlam.
Sukh was invited to the NFL’s Super Regional Combine in Arizona in 2015.
host athlete
Evan Dunfee
OLYMPIC LONG-DISTANCE RACE WALKER, RIO 2016 AND BRONZE MEDALIST TOKYO 2020
Evan Dunfee is a Canadian Track and Field National Team member who competes in the 20 and 50km race walk events. Born and raised here, Evan can be easily spotted out training through the streets of Richmond whenever he is at home.
In 2015 Evan won the Pan-American Games 20km Walk in front of family and friends in Toronto before going on to finish 12th in both the 20 and 50km events at the World Championships in Beijing last August. He capped off his breakout year by breaking 50km Canadian record in Melbourne in December. Evan’s time of 3 hour 43 minutes and 45 seconds obliterated the existing mark of 3:47:48 which had stood since 1981.
In July 2016, he was named to Canada’s Olympic team for the 2016 Rio Olympics. In the 50 kilometre race walk, Hirooki Arai of Japan initially finished third. He was then disqualified for making contact with Evan, but Arai’s medal was reinstated on a further appeal. Evan advised the Canadian team against making a further appeal. Evan set a new Canadian record in the event. He also competed in the 20 kilometre race walk, placing tenth.
host athlete
Tommy Europe
FOOTBALL — BC LIONS DEFENSIVE BACK (ALUMNI), FITNESS COACH
Best known as the tough love television host of the “The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp” and “Bulging Brides” Tommy Europe is Canada’s most recognized and sought-after fitness coach.
Tommy earned his fitness credentials in the school of very hard knocks — as a professional football player. An 11 year veteran, Tommy was a two-time all-star defensive back in the Canadian Football League, playing with the Montreal Alouettes, Winnipeg Blue Bomber and BC Lions.
His football career included winning the Grey Cup in 1994, and earning a shot in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints. Tommy is also an honoured member of the BC Sports Hall of Fame, BC Lions Wall of Fame, and BC Football Hall of Fame.
Founder of Tommy Europe Fitness, Tommy is an entrepreneur, award-winning fitness coach, published author, keynote speaker and creator of the SHRED Training Philosophy.
host athlete
Shanda Hill
DECA ULTRA TRIATHALON, GOLD MEDALIST
Shanda Hill is a world-record-holding Ultra Triathlon athlete from Vernon, BC. She is known as one of the top Ultra Triathletes in Canada and the World. In 2017 Shanda Hill was ranked #1 in female Ultra Athletes in the World by the IUTA and made an IUTA confirmed World Record as the first female ever to complete two Decas in a year. A Deca is a continuous triathlon that is a 38 km swim, 1,800 km bike ride, and a 422 run. The equivalent of 10 triathlons in a row. In August 2017, in Buchs, Switzerland, she came in 2nd female overall and then went on to complete a second Deca 2 months later in October 2017 at León, Mexico, where she placed 1st place for females overall.
In August of 2018, Shanda came first place in the Swiss Deca Ultra in Buchs, Switzerland. With that win on her belt, she set her sights on completing a Double Deca. No Canadian in history had ever attempted or completed the race, which consisted of a 76 km swim, 3,600 km bike, and an 844 km run over a month. In October of 2019, Shanda came in second place for females in León, Mexico, where she was the 3rd woman in history to ever complete a Double Deca and the first Canadian ever.
host athlete
Bob Lenarduzzi
SOCCER — VANCOUVER WHITECAPS DEFENDER (ALUMNI)
Born in Vancouver, Bob Lenarduzzi grew up with three soccer playing brothers, Vanni, Sam and Danny. He started playing minor soccer for the Grandview Legion, then played semi-pro for the Vancouver Spartans in 1969, and was named runner up for the Sun Soccer Boy in 1970. That same year Lenarduzzi was recruited for England’s Reading Club. He would play for the team for five years (1970-1975), gaining valuable experience, and helping them climb from the 4th to the 3rd division.
While playing with Reading, Lenarduzzi returned to Vancouver each summer, and in 1974, he and his brother Sam joined the North American Soccer League’s (N.A.S.L) fledging Vancouver Whitecap’s team. Lenarduzzi would go on to play for the Whitecaps for ten years, becoming the only player in the N.A.S.L. to play 288 games, and to play all eleven positions on the field.
At the beginning of the 1978 season, Lenarduzzi moved from the defender position to midfield. He finished 9th in the league (10 goals, 17 assists, 37 points) and earned the distinction of becoming the first Canadian to be named North American “Player of the Year”. In 1979, he assisted the Whitecaps in their famous N.A.S.L. All-Star team, an honour he would receive again in 1981 and 1984.
In 1984, after the demise of the Whitecaps, Lenarduzzi played two seasons with the Tacoma Stars in the Major Indoor Soccer League (1984 to 1986).
In addition to his pro career, Lenarduzzi made 47 “A” level and 3 “B” level international appearances, and 8 Olympic appearances for Canada. He was a key member of Canada’s National Team from 1973 to 1986, playing a total of 28 World Cup Qualifying games – more than any player. Lenarduzzi was one of the only three Canadians ever to play on teams for three World Cup Years: 1982, 1985, 1986, (others were brother, Sam Lenarduzzi and Hall of Famer, Bruce Wilson). The 1986 F.I.F.A. World Cup Match was held in Mexico and marked the first time that Canada made it the finals of World Cup Play.
In 1986, Lenarduzzi joined the Canadian Soccer Leagues (C.S.L.) Vancouver ’86ers, as executive Director. For the next two years (1987 and 1988), he was player coach for the ’86ers, leading the team to the first of four consecutive C.S.L. Championships (1988-91). Bob retired as a player in September 1988, to coach the ’86ers full time and was named “C.S.L. Coach of the Year” for 1988 and 1989. He was made director of Operations and General Manager of the team at the start of the 1989 season.
host athlete
Alexa Loo
OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDER: PARALLEL, GIANT SLALOM; KIDSPORT BOARD MEMBER; RICHMOND CITY COUNCILOR
Alexa is a seven-time national champion and two time Olympian. She represented Canada in Torino, making history as the first Canadian woman to compete in the event for Canada. She also competed in the Vancouver 2010 games where she placed 12th.
Alexa is the first Canadian woman to make a World Cup final and the first to reach a World Cup podium. She has three World Cup podiums, 11 Continental Cup wins and 22 Continental Cup podiums. Alexa retired from competitive snowboarding in 2010, ranked 1st in Canada.
Alexa is an Executive and Mental Training coach with a Chartered Accountant designation. She continues to give back to sport by serving on the Finance Committee for the Canadian Olympic Committee. Alexa motivates and inspires others to live her motto: “Aim high, work hard and give back,” by speaking at schools and community events.
Alexa has two young boys, Louie and Sacha, who constantly inspire, delight, and challenge her.
host athlete
Jyrki Lumme
HOCKEY — VANCOUVER CANUCKS DEFENCE (ALUMNI)
Jyrki became the first Finnish player ever to join the Habs’ lineup in 1988-89. Prior to that, Jyrki had distinguished himself with his play in his native city of Tampere. Jyrki was part of Finland’s national team at the 1986 World Junior Hockey Championship. A few months later, the Canadiens selected him 57th overall in the third round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft.
After making the jump to Montreal at the beginning of 1988-89, Jyrki appeared in 21 games before he was sent to the AHL’s Sherbrooke Canadiens to finish off the year. He was then was traded to Vancouver 54 games into the season, in return for a second round draft pick.
Jyrki went on to spend eight seasons with the Vancouver Canucks, and became known as one of the NHL’s top offensive defensemen. He also played for the Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs until he retired in 2003.
host athlete
Kirk McLean
HOCKEY — VANCOUVER CANUCKS GOALIE (ALUMNI)
Kirk Alan McLean is a Vancouver Canucks Alumni. He is best known for his 10 and a half seasons with the Canucks, during which time he was a finalist for two Vezina Trophies in 1989 and 1992, named to two NHL All-Star Games and received Second All-Star Team honours.
In 1994, he backstopped the Canucks to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Rangers. In 1998, he was traded away and spent the final three seasons of his career with the Hurricanes, Panthers and Rangers, before retiring in 2001.
McLean played major junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and was drafted in the sixth round, 107th overall by the Devils in 1984.
He now works for the Vancouver Canucks as the Ambassador and is a boardmember of the Canuck Alumni Foundation.
host athlete
Cory Philpot
FOOTBALL — BC LIONS RUNNING BACK (ALUMNI), GREY CUP CHAMPION
Cory is a former running back for the BC Lions of the CFL. He played college football at The University of Mississippi. He was two-time winner of the Eddie James Memorial Trophy for top rusher (Western Division) in 1994 and 1995. He played on the Lions’ winning Grey Cup team in 1994.
In 1995, Cory set the CFL record for most touchdowns in a season with 22, a record that was broken by Milt Stegall in the 2003 CFL season. His nickname while playing for the Lions was “Quick Six” which alluded to the number 6 jersey that he wore, and even more so his ankle breaking moves that were sure to put up a quick 6 on the scoreboard.
host athlete
Jalen Philpot
FOOTBALL — CALGARY STAMPEDERS WIDE RECEIVER
Jalen is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
Jalen was ranked as the fifth best player in the CFL’s Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2022 CFL Draft, and second by players in U Sports. He was then drafted in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2022 draft by the Calgary Stampeders and signed with the team on May 9, 2022.
host athlete
Tyson Philpot
FOOTBALL — MONTREAL ALOUETTES WIDE RECEIVER
Tyson is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
Philpot was ranked as the sixth best player in the Canadian Football League’s Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2022 CFL Draft, and third by players in U Sports. He was then drafted in the first round, ninth overall, in the 2022 draft by the Montreal Alouettes and signed with the team on May 13, 2022.
Following training camp for the 2022 season, Tyson earned a spot on the team’s active roster and made his professional debut on June 9, 2022, against his brother’s team, the Calgary Stampeders, where he had five punt returns for 38 yards and two kickoff returns for 63 yards.
For his strong season, Tyson was the East Division’s nominee for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie Award.
host athlete
Ron Putzi
BASKETBALL — FORWARD, BBC NYON, BC HALL OF FAME, WORLD BASKETBALL LEAGUE (ALUMNI)
Ron captained the Super Colts to the Provincial Championships in 1987 and 1988. Ron was named BC Junior Male Athlete of the Year in 1988. He was honoured as a part of The Province newspaper’s All-Time Dream Team, as well as Player of the Decade.
Ron received a scholarship to play for New Mexico State University where the team became Big West Conference Champions and reached The Sweet 16 in 1992. Ron graduated from New Mexico State University with a BA degree in Finance & International Business.
Ron played with the Canadian National Team (FISU), winning the silver medal at the World University Games in Sheffield, England. Ron played professional basketball for 10 years in Europe, reaching 7 National Finals and winning the Swiss National Championship.
In 2018, Ron was inducted into both the Richmond Sports Wall of Fame and the Basketball BC Hall of Fame.
host athlete
Shawn Stewart
football — bc lions linebacker (alumni)
Shawn was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. He began playing football at the age of 12 with the North Shore Football Program, after three provincial championships, Shawn earned a football scholarship to Waldorf Junior College followed by a scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa.
Shawn signed as a free agent with the BC Lions in 1990, where he played one year as a Linebacker.
Shawn was certified as a trainer thru the Weider Diploma Program in 1993, training and working out with amateur, professional and olympic athletes. That served as a stepping stone to a 20+ year career as a stunt performer/ actor in film and television.
Shawn has worked on movies such as Rollerball, I Robot, X-Men 2, Watchmen, War, to name a few. Shawn was a stunt double for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Recently, Shawn worked with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Skyscraper and has a role in the movie Shazam.
host athlete
Noemie Thomas
OLYMPIC SWIMMER, 100M BUTTERFLY & 4X100 MEDLEY RELAY, RIO 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS
Born and raised in Richmond, Noemie grew up participating in a variety of sports such as karate, ballet, and swimming. Her dreams to represent Canada at the Olympic Games in swimming started when she began training with the Richmond Kigoos Swim club at the age of 7. From there she went on to compete at various national & international competitions and represented the University of California, Berkeley at the NCAA Division 1 Championships.
In 2016, she achieved her dreams and represented Team Canada at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in the 100m butterfly and the 4×100 medley relay. Noemie is passionate about increasing involvement of youth in sports, particularly for girls.
host athlete
Carl Valentine
SOCCER — VANCOUVER WHITECAPS STRIKER (ALUMNI)
Returning to the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2010 with an ambassador role, Carl is one of the most popular figures to play for the Blue and White. A speedy and skillful player, Carl became a fan favourite during the club’s days in the old North American Soccer League, Canadian Soccer League, and United Soccer League’s First Division.
The native of Manchester, England, was an integral part of the Whitecaps FC that won the 1979 NASL championship. Carl was also a key member of the Vancouver 86ers, who claimed four-straight CSL championship titles between 1988 and 1991. Carl is Vancouver’s all-time leader in appearances, third on the club’s career points list with 65 goals and 69 assists. Between 1994 and 1999, Carl served as Whitecaps FC head coach.
After a substantial and rewarding career as a striker and coach, he now devotes his time to inspiring the younger generation and the community as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC club ambassador and U-16 Residency Assistant Coach. Carl does over 60 community appearances for the club annually.
host athlete
Brent Hayden
OLYMPIC SWIMMER, 100M freestyle, Bronze Medalist London 2012 SummeR OLYMPICS
Brent Hayden is a 4x Olympian swimmer from Mission, BC. He is a world champion and an Olympic bronze medalist in the 100m Freestyle, the first Olympic medal ever won by a Canadian in that event despite having failed swimming lessons in his youth. After retiring from swimming following the London 2012 games, Brent returned after a 7 year hiatus and qualified for his 4th games as the oldest swimmer in Tokyo and the first Canadian swimmer to be named a 4x Olympian. He led Canada’s 4 x 100m Freestyle to a near medal performance and in doing so became the oldest swimmer in history to swim the 100m freestyle under 48 seconds.
Brent re-retired last year after 2 seasons as co-captain of the International Swimming League team the Toronto Titans. He continues to give back the sport through running clinics for young competitive swimmers across the country and now runs one of the world’s fastest growing online swimming programs swimmingsecrets.com. He continues to pursue his passion for photography having had his work displayed in solo exhibitions in Canada and the US with more planned in the future.
host athlete
Jevon Cottoy
FOOTBALL — BC Lions WIDE RECEIVER
Jevon Cottoy is football wide receiver for the BC Lions. He played junior football for the Calgary Colts and Langley Rams.
Jevon was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and moved to Calgary when he was nine years.
Jevon played for the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League in 2014 and 2015 where he was named the 2014 Prairie Football Conference’s Rookie of the Year. He reunited with his former coach, Matt Blokker, to play for the Langley Rams in 2018.
After a dominant junior career, Jevon signed with the BC Lions, as a territorial protected junior player. Following a strong training camp, he made the team’s active roster and played in his first game on June 15, 2019 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Jevon remained an important component of the Lions’ passing attack over the next two seasons, playing in all 32 regular season games and contributing with 89 receptions for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns.
Jevon has had workouts with the San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets and the Denver Broncos of the NFL.
host athlete
Will Loftus
FOOTBALL — MONTREAL ALOUETTES SAFETY (ALUMNI), grey cup champion
Will is a two-time CFL Grey Cup champion, having spent time with the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes.
Will is currently coaching at Game Ready Fitness and within community football.
In addition, Will is passionate about working with the Washington Kids Foundation, providing the guidance and support youth need at pivotal times in their lives, helping them build their dreams for the future, and giving them the tools they need to accomplish amazing things.
host athlete
Jordan Linnen
FOOTBALL — Montreal Alouettes Defensive Back (Alumni), Edmonton Elks Runningback Coach
Jordan is a former defensive back with the Montreal Alouettes, completing his time with the team in 2015. Since 2016, Jordan spends his time coaching for the CJF, NCAA and CFL. He is currently the current Runningbacks Coach for the Edmonton Elks.
In his off season time, Jordan has worked with EA Sports and the video game franchise Madden as a MoCap athlete and stunt coordinator. He also works as a stunt actor.
host athlete
Will Watson
FOOTBALL — BC Lions Wide Receiver
Will is a wide receiver for the CFL’s BC Lions, joining the team in 2018 as part of the seventh round of the CFL draft.
Will previously played for the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbirds prior to joining the Canadian Football League.