Who do you think is BC’s best athlete?
Sport BC partners with City of Richmond to promote people’s choice award for top BC amateur or professional athlete
Richmond, BC – Sport BC, in partnership with the City of Richmond, encourages all British Columbians to have their say in naming the top BC athlete of 2010 by voting online at SportBC.com. The athlete who receives the highest number of votes will be honoured with the Best of BC award for his or her achievements at Sport BC’s 45th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards presented by TELUS.
Voters will be asked to choose the athlete they feel best represented BC nationally or internationally in either a professional or amateur sport from the following finalists:
- Duncan Keith (Penticton, BC) – Ice Hockey, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
- Danielle Lawrie (Langley, BC) – Softball, NCAA 2010 Player of the Year
- Ashleigh McIvor (Whistler, BC) – Ski-cross, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
- Lauren Woolstencroft (North Vancouver, BC) – Para-Alpine Skiing, Five-time 2010 Paralympic Gold Medalist
- Maëlle Ricker (West Vancouver, BC) – Snowboardcross, 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist
“2010 was an outstanding year for BC’s athletes, as evident by the calibre of candidates put forward for this award,” said Tim Gayda, Sport BC President & CEO. “These five athletes are powerhouses, not only as competitors in their respective sports, but also in their representation of our province on the world stage.”
“The accomplishments of our outstanding amateur and elite athletes inspire our youth and other athletes, creating countless benefits for our communities,” said City of Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Sponsoring the Best of BC Award aligns perfectly with our City’s focus on health, wellness and sport. This includes our successful hosting of Speed Skating for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, an outstanding catalyst for our new sport hosting program in which we are working with Tourism Richmond to put Richmond on the map as one of the pre-eminent sport event hosts of the nation.”
The opportunity to vote, along with athlete profiles, can be found at SportBC.com/bestofbc. Voting closes on February 20, 2011 and the people’s choice for Best of BC will be revealed on February 21. Previous winners of the Best of BC Award include Mitch Berger (Football, 2009), Justin Morneau (Baseball, 2008) and Steve Nash (Basketball, 2005 & 2006).
Sport BC’s Athlete of the Year Awards is Canada’s longest running sport recognition event, celebrating BC’s finest athletes. Tickets for this year’s event, taking place February 24 at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond BC, are still available and can be purchased now at SportBC.com.
About Sport BC:
Sport BC believes everyone is an athlete – whatever their sport, whatever their level. Our passion for sport is a passion for building strong, healthy communities by giving everyone in BC the opportunity to be the athletes they are. We are the engine driving amateur sport in BC, inspiring participation and supporting its activation through the 64 Provincial Sport Organizations who bring sport to life in BC. For more information, please visit SportBC.com
About City of Richmond:
As the fourth largest city in British Columbia, Richmond is brimming with arts, recreation, cultural diversity and heritage. Richmond has been called “Canada’s Healthiest City” in part because Richmond residents have the greatest life expectancy in all of Canada – living an average of 83.4 years, almost four years longer than the national average. From playground to podium, Richmond is committed to becoming one of Canada’s premier sport hosting destinations. Superb venues like the Richmond Olympic Oval and North America’s largest all-weather turf complex compliment an array of sporting facilities waiting for you. For more information about Richmond visit www.richmond.ca/sporthosting.
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For more information, please contact:
Jessica Doherty
Coordinator, Marketing & Communications
T: 604.333.3422
E: Jessica.doherty@sportbc.com
