FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 19th, 2022
CALGARY, ALBERTA – The time has come to shine a light – a light that has been dimmed for too long – on the incredible athletes and para-athletes from Alberta, who have persevered through difficult times and emerged victorious on the sporting world stage.
At long last, CSI Calgary is thrilled to present an upcoming series of events, all centred around the theme of Coming Together to celebrate and share the incredible accomplishments of its many supported athletes, para-athletes, coaches, and staff over the last two years, culminating with peak performances in Tokyo and Beijing.
The series features school visits by several CSI Calgary athletes and para-athletes, the Game Plan Day event across Canada on June 1st, and the Red White and Gold Gala on June 15th in Calgary.
Two-time wheelchair basketball Paralympian Nik Goncin will visit Bowness High School on May 31st, along with freestyle skiing halfpipe bronze medalist from Beijing Rachael Karker, three-time Olympian in freestyle skiing halfpipe Noah Bowman, and rower Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, a Tokyo 2020 gold medalist in the women’s 8.
Reaching over 600 students, the school visits will focus on mental and physical health, resilience, grit, and sticking to your goals in sport and life.
Goncin understands how valuable and impactful such school visits can be, especially as a para-athlete who has persevered through much more than the global pandemic. The opportunity to share his story with students is one he takes seriously.
“The earlier you can reach kids the better,” he explains. “It helps break down the barriers and social stigma associated with disabilities, and because of this kind of education there has been a huge shift in accessibility, inclusion, and diversity over the last 10 years.”
Finally, it’s time to dust off those ball gowns and tuxedos (when’s the last time you wore yours?) for a night of glamour and celebration. Coming together for the first time in a very long while, summer and winter athletes and para-athletes will attend the Red White & Gold Gala – a celebration and appreciation night at Major Tom in Calgary on June 15th.
In case you missed it, CSI Calgary affiliated athletes combined to win 25 of Canada’s 51 medals won in Tokyo and Beijing.
Goncin is looking forward to the Red, White and Gold Gala on June 15th with anticipation and excitement. “We’ve been virtual for two years, it’s so awesome now to finally be in person to meet athletes and supporters and have opportunities to make new connections.”
Goncin points to meeting other athletes as a major highlight, especially after two years of living in a bubble. “Whether we know each other or not, we all have a lot in common. It feels like we know each other already. This gala means a lot to the sport community in Calgary.”
This exciting series of events is generously supported by EFW Radiology, Invico Capital Corporation, Mawer Investment Management Ltd., Ignite Technology, DynaLIFE Medical Labs, and Avenue Living Asset Management.
CSI Calgary President and CEO, Gary Davies, says the Coming Together campaign is a special way to acknowledge recent successes.
“This is our chance to say thank you to, to showcase the hard work and dedication, as well as the major contributions of the incredible team of service providers at CSI Calgary,” says Davies. “We are all so proud of what CSI Calgary athletes and para-athletes have accomplished over the last two years – persevering through major challenges and putting together fantastic performances on the world stage.”
So, let’s shine that light. Let’s cast a glow of warmth, joy, and gratitude upon the shoulders of Alberta’s best, during this wonderful time when we can all finally come together.
About Invico Capital Corporation
Invico Capital Corporation ("Invico") is an award-winning Canadian investment fund management firm providing alternative investing and financing solutions in Canada and the U.S. The firm offers a range of private debt, energy, and real estate financing solutions that assist corporations in pursuing strategic acquisitions, financing capital expenditures and growth programs, and supporting working capital requirements. Invico is a registered Portfolio Manager (PM), Investment Fund Manager (IFM), and Exempt Market Dealer (EMD), and is an official signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The firm currently holds over $1.77 billion in assets under management (as at Apr. 30, 2022) and is the IFM for seven funds.
About Mawer Investment Management Ltd.
Established in 1974, Mawer Investment Management Ltd. is an independent firm that provides world-class, global investment management services to a broad range of institutional and individual clients. We are proud of our reputation as one of Canada’s most respected investment management firms and strive to earn such respect by continually delivering long-term investment excellence, developing strong client partnerships, and living our core values. Mawer currently manages approximately $89 billion in assets and employs over 200 people in Calgary, Toronto, the U.S., and Singapore.
About Ignite Technology
At Ignite Technology, we work with our customers to understand their business environment and develop a customized technology solution that works for their unique business. Our team is a passionate group, all experts in their own fields, who work together to help teams across North America connect seamlessly and securely. We’re committed to taking a people-first approach in all that we do and pride ourselves on developing and maintaining trusted relationships with our customers. We help companies empower productivity, enable innovation, experience seamless connections with tools people will actually use. At Ignite, we Connect People and Ideas through Technology. Visit www.ignitetechnology.com to learn more about what makes us your trusted technology partner.
About DynaLIFE Medical Labs
Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, DynaLIFE Medical Labs is a major Canadian medical laboratory offering a complete range of diagnostic testing services. Our 1,300 employees are proud to be seen as industry leaders – bringing reliable, innovative services to more than 2,000 physicians for two million patient visits annually – performing greater than 19 million laboratory tests every year. DynaLIFE has been operating clinical laboratory facilities in Alberta for more than 60 years.
About Avenue Living Asset Management
Founded on the principle of investing in the everyday, Avenue Living focuses on opportunities that are often overlooked by others, having grown to over $3.7 billion in aggregate assets under management across four private real estate investment mandates. The Avenue Living team includes over 750 professionals with expertise in real estate operations and transactions, property management, research, investment origination, and capital markets, as well as a suite of subject matter experts to support Avenue Living's growing portfolio of multi-family residential, commercial, agricultural land, and self-storage assets. In addition to over 14,400 multi-family units located in Canada and the United States, Avenue Living and its related entities own over 495,000 square feet of commercial space, 82,827 acres of productive farmland, and more than 3 million square feet of self-storage space.
About the Canadian Sport Institute Calgary
The Canadian Sport Institute Calgary provides world-class training environments in Alberta. With the support of our partners, we deliver leading sport science and medicine, coach education and life services to help Canada's high-performance athletes achieve Olympic and Paralympic podium performances. www.csialberta.ca
Media Contact:
Annie Gagnon, Director, Marketing & Communications
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary
c: 613.262.9644
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Annie Goncin, Manager, Athlete Services & Digital Media
Canadian Sport Institute Calgary
c: 647.767.6862
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