Six-time Canadian Olympian and mental health advocate Clara Hughes will be the featured speaker as Pronghorn Athletics hosts its annual Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 in the 1st Choice Savings Centre.
“We’re extremely excited to welcome Clara Hughes as our guest speaker,” says Robb Engen, manager of Development & Marketing, Sport and Recreation Services. “As much as she is celebrated for her outstanding athletic career, Clara has made an immeasurable impact on Canadian society through her work as a mental health advocate and as a supporter of children facing adversity.”
Now in its fifth year, the breakfast has grown both in terms of its profile in the community and the important role it plays in advancing Pronghorn excellence. As a key fundraiser for athletic scholarships, support for the breakfast directly affects the program’s ability to attract the country’s top student athletes. As part of its ongoing commitment to Pronghorn Athletics, the University is offering to match the first $30,000 raised through ticket sales for the event.
“It cannot be underestimated how important it is to be able to offer competitive scholarship packages to student athlete recruits,” says Ken McInnes, executive director, Sport and Recreation Services. “The money raised through this breakfast directly affects our coaches’ ability to bring high calibre student athletes to campus.”
Hughes is the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both summer and winter Olympic Games, representing Canada in both speed skating and cycling. In addition, she served as the flag-bearer for Team Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games opening ceremony.
In 2011, Hughes served as the national spokesperson for Bell Let’s Talk, a campaign designed to end the stigma attached to mental illness. In 2014, undertaking Clara’s Big Ride, she completed a 110-day national bicycle tour through every province and territory in Canada. As part of the ride, she covered more than 11,000 kilometres, visited 105 communities and attended more than 235 events raising awareness for mental health. She is also the author of the bestselling, acclaimed memoir, Open Heart, Open Mind.
Over the course of her distinguished career, Hughes has won countless awards. She received the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Community Trophy; she was honoured with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame; she was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame; and she is a member of the Order of Manitoba and an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Hughes presently sits on the International Board of Directors for Right To Play, a global organization that uses the transformative power of play to educate and empower children facing adversity. She is also an Honorary Witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The estimated attendance for the 2016 Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast is 400 guests, with tickets available at: uleth.ca/tickets. There are also many opportunities for individual and corporate support. Those who would like to be a valued sponsor can contact Robb Engen at 403-332-5253 or by emailing giving.pronghorns@uleth.ca.