Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame reschedules 2020 induction banquet
The hall will formally induct its previously announced class of 2020 at a banquet in the fall of 2021.
Dec. 11, 2020 – In a year unlike any other, the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame (LSHOF) has taken steps to ensure its latest class of inductees will still be properly honoured, while ensuring everyone’s safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hall will formally induct its previously announced class of 2020 at a banquet in the fall of 2021.
In addition to rescheduling the 2020 induction banquet, the LSHOF has also decided it will not name a new class of inductees in 2021. This decision gives time for the class of 2020 to be properly recognized before a new class is named.
“A large part of being selected to join the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame is the opportunity for inductees to have an evening of celebration with their family, friends and those closest to them,” says Dave McMurray, LSHOF chair. “We want to ensure the class of 2020 still has that moment. With on-going steps to halt this pandemic, including the introduction of vaccines and other measures, we believe an induction banquet next fall is a realistic timeline.”
The hall announced its 2020 class of six inductees in February, but the induction banquet, planned for May 1 was cancelled because of the pandemic. Inductees in the 2020 class include:
- Athlete: Jolene Watson (Schweitzer) – soccer
- Team: 1983 Schwartz Angels – Canadian slo-pitch champions
- Builder: Eunice David – figure skating
- Builder: Mary Dyck – soccer, volleyball and wheelchair basketball
- Builder: Cliff Nelson – multi-sport
- Builder: Howard Rasmussen – volleyball
Following the move of the 2020 induction banquet to fall 2021, and the cancellation of a new 2021 induction class, the LSHOF will return to its traditional schedule with a new induction class and banquet in spring 2022.
Nominations for the LSHOF are submitted by members of the public and can be received at any time. To learn more about nomination requirements or to begin the nomination process, visit the LSHOF website.
New website launched
The Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame has a new look online, as the organization has launched its re-vamped website. Designed to tie-in to the LSHOF’s new permanent site in the ATB Centre, which will likely be officially opened in 2021, the new website boasts an improved design, an easily searchable database of all inductees and an online process for submitting nomination packages.
“We want to ensure Lethbridge’s sports history has a living legacy, and this is an important step in that direction,” says McMurray. “This website makes it easy and accessible for anyone to learn about and be inspired by those who have come before.”
The new website was a priority project for the organization and the results can be seen lethbridgesportshalloffame.ca.
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The Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame has inducted more than 320 members since its formation in 1985 as part of the City of Lethbridge’s Centennial celebrations. The mandate of the hall is to identify and honour not only contemporary individuals, but also those who have excelled in sport at some time since the founding of Lethbridge.