Sport and event council evolves

By Sean Rooney on February 3, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

A group focused on helping sports and other community events in Medicine Hat became a bit more organized this week by appointing five directors and hiring a coordinator.

The Medicine Hat Sport and Event Council, in the works for eight years and officially formed in September, will be run by co-chairs Kelli Ireland and Ron Webb plus directors Pat Grisonich, Mike Ractliffe and Brian Varga. Kara Brake has been hired by Tourism Medicine Hat to run the council’s day-to-day operations.

“We’re all very excited,” said Brake, who’s had a major role in several big events in the city such as last year’s Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games and the 2016 Alberta Winter Games. “To announce that this is moving forward and happening, everybody’s really passionate about what we’re doing.”

The idea of a sports council started in 2010, with the idea that local organizations could use it to help facilitate bidding for and running big events. It was the 2016 Games that really sprung the idea forward however, budgeting $50,000 in legacy funds to start the council.

Half that money will go towards actually bidding for various events, with $20,000 paying for Brake’s role and $5,000 to other expenses.

The five directors bring a wealth of expertise to the council. Ireland is Canalta Centre’s director of marketing and sales and a board member of Tourism Medicine Hat. Webb chaired the 2016 Games and used to work for the city’s parks and recreation department. Grisonich teaches at Hat High and has filled large roles in the recent multi-sport games. Ractliffe works with Alberta Parks in the Cypress Hills and is also a Tourism Medicine Hat director. Varga, a city councillor, chaired the 2017 Special Olympics event.

City council supported the formation of the council formally in the fall but hasn’t earmarked any funds for it, though the hope is that will change in the future. For now, the council will work on events as it evolves and figures out new ways to help local organizations.

“Our hope is to go back to city council and say look at what we’ve done,” said Brake, noting the council will help sports and non-sports groups alike. “We want to prove that we are needed in the community… make sure it’s needed.”

The primary bid the council hopes to see through shortly is for the 2019 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, as Brake and Webb were both part of the group that submitted a bid for the 2018 version of the event. After that, it’s a matter of figuring out where their work best serves the community.

“We know that Medicine Hat is great at hosting our annual sport tournaments and cultural events like JazzFest and Tongue on the Post,” said Brake. “We know they’re already there and we’re not coming in to change what they’re doing. We’re here to help promote it and help where we can. If that means trying to find more volunteers, we’ll work on that. It could be a small organization that doesn’t really know how to get started or wants to hold a tournament, but doesn’t know how.

“It’s exciting for Medicine Hat, I think.”

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