BOW VALLEY – The local sports hall of fame is calling for its next batch of standouts from Banff, Canmore, the MD of Bighorn and other Bow Valley communities.
Applications for nominations are being accepted from the public until April 15 for the 2024 Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame, which includes three categories: athletes, sports builders and pioneers.
An already star-studded hall of fame, the new inductees will share space with Olympic medallists, NHLers, and those who created lasting legacies in Bow Valley sport and mountain pursuits.
“You don’t need to look very far down our list of inductees to see how much we’ve impacted sport from coast-to-coast through this valley,” said Marty von Neudegg, committee chair of Bow Valley Sports Hall of Fame (BVSHF).
It’s up to community members to nominate a hall of fame worthy individual, family or sporting group. Once the local committee receives its applications, it determines the new inductees based on its criteria.
The hall of fame honours athletes with notable accomplishments in sports, recreation and mountain pursuits, as well as sport builders, such as coaches, trainers and officials, and pioneers who helped grow sport around the Bow Valley for more than 50 years.
The 2024 list will be announced in May and an induction ceremony will be held in the fall.
At the ceremonies, which include a dinner and silent auction, the group raises money and a portion goes toward continuing the growth and development of sport through its Athlete and Coach Assistance Program, which anyone in the Bow Valley can apply to.
Last time, eight $1,000 bursaries were given out.
“The support we get from the business community to help the event happen is really important,” said von Neudegg. “The end result is meant to support a whole bunch of new young athletes and coaches with financial supporters.”
The previous batch of inductees in 2022 were Chic Scott (pioneer, mountain pursuit), Alex Kaleta (athlete, hockey), Glen Sather (builder, hockey), Graham MacDonald (builder, hockey), Barry Blanchard (athlete, mountain pursuit), Brendan Green (athlete, biathlon), Rosanna Crawford (athlete, biathlon) and Paul Stutz (athlete, alpine skiing).
A full list of inductions can be found on the hall of fame’s website or at the two digital kiosks located in the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre and Canmore Recreation Centre that include short videos of the inductees.
For more information and to find the application, visit www.bowvalleysport.ca.
