Alumni field gala event has huge Jets appeal

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This article was published 14/03/2016 (3470 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A hockey legend and a rising star will reunite to help the Dakota Collegiate Alumni Association realize its vision of a state-of-the-art sports complex.

The association will host its third annual gala dinner in support of its Alumni Field Capital campaign at Canad Inns Polo Park (1405 St. Matthews Ave.) on Mon., March 21.

Guest speakers at this year’s event will be former Winnipeg Jets centre and Hockey Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, who is now head coach of the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, and current Winnipeg Jets centre Mark Scheifele. TSN reporter Sara Orlesky will moderate the discussion between the two stars, who know each other well from when Hawerchuk coached Scheifele during his time with the Colts.

During Dakota’s five-decade history, its successful sports programs continue to yield numerous league and championship-winning teams, and the increase in student participation and new physical education initiatives are placing more demands on the school’s current facilities, organizers say. The continued goal is to construct a state-of-the-art facility that will include artificial turf, spectator stands and a digital scoreboard, and serve the community for generations to come.

“For this year’s event, we wanted to change things up and go local, and we thought Mark Scheifele would be an attractive option to Jets fans, and Dale Hawerchuk is Winnipeg Jets 1.0,” said River Park South resident Dean Favoni, head of the school’s math department and coach of the varsity boys’ basketball team.

“It’s also proved to be a timely choice, as Dale has just been named captain of the Legends team at the Heritage Classic in October, and Mark has been playing some of the best hockey of his career,” he added, noting organizers anticipate surpassing the attendance of 440 at last year’s gala dinner.

In terms of funding, the campaign has to date received $600,000 from the City of Winnipeg and $1-million from the Province of Manitoba, Favoni said.

“As the project has evolved, the level of interest has increased and we’ve continued to draw on local community businesses and our parent community and we’ve tried to increase the community partnership aspect of what we’re doing,” he said.

“The complex will benefit greater St. Vital, as grocery stores and restaurants will all benefit from the extra traffic and multi-sports events will draw people from across the city. We continue to meet with the government and the private sector and we expect to make a further funding announcement at the dinner. We’re also continuing to meet with architects and finalizing plans and construction drawings, so it can be started quickly and with as little disruption as possible when the time comes.”

In an email interview, Hawerchuk told The Lance he is looking forward to returning to Winnipeg to take part in the upcoming event.

“It’s always great to come back to Winnipeg,” Hawerchuk said.  

“I really enjoyed my time there as a player and to come back and do a charity event with Mark Scheifele is special. I coached Mark in junior for three years and he is a wonderful person that loves the game and Winnipeg, much like myself.”

Hawerchuk said it’s important to him to be able to give back to the community and the city whenever he can.

“To do this and help out the community is always rewarding and a good thing to do, especially for guys like us who have been given so much from the game and the city,” he said.

“And the Heritage Classic will be one of the biggest events to hit Winnipeg and Manitoba. To me, it’s a celebration of this great game and the influence the province and the Prairies have had on hockey and the outdoor experience.”

The event will include an attractive selection of silent auction prizes, including memorabilia signed by Hawerchuk and Scheifele. Several levels of sponsorship/ticket packages are available. Go online at www.dcigala.ca for more information or to buy tickets. Tax receipts will be issued, Favoni said.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com

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