I would like to take a moment to extend a personal thank you to everyone who played a part in making this past weekend so special.
I am always proud to represent our province, and this weekend was no exception. Thank you to everyone that came out to support this Championship.
To the officials, you know how important you are to these types of events and I assure you we do realize we would be lost without you. Thank you for the countless hours you dedicate to our sport and our athletes. This event is exceptionally important and you made it a true success. To those officials who travelled in from out of Province, thank for becoming adoptive members of our family for the weekend. We needed your support and you went above and beyond.
To the Bison sport staff and U of M facility staff and all the members of the organizing committee. The work you have put in over the last few weeks leading up to this event, made it what it was. People love coming to MB when we host and that is a testament to your contributions and the teamwork that makes these events a success.
To the absolute VILLAGE of volunteers who came out to help each and everyday. You were all incredible. That we have a membership base willing to step up and lend a hand in the way you do is absolutely amazing. Whether you were on the field of play, selling tickets, moving equipment or anything in-between. Your help was integral to the success of this event. To Scott Gurney, thank you for managing our equipment and the equipment crew! Our facility creates some pretty unique challenges and it is truly a full time job to coordinate during events. To our music curator and the DJ crew for the weekend, you literally set the tone of weekend and it was perfect. Thank you.
To the spectators, alumni and everyone who came out to watch. Don’t think for a second that you didn’t play an important part in making this Championship a success. The atmosphere in our building is because of you and the energy, knowledge, and understanding of the sport that you have. Thank you for creating such a positive and exciting atmosphere for these athletes to compete in. They appreciate it more than you know.
To my staff, past and present. Thank you will never be enough. Everything you did, every task you took off my plate big or small, allowed me to play my coaching role and to support our athletes. I will always be grateful for that.
To Julia specifically, I’m sorry we took this photo without you! (Or maybe it’s fitting that we only had time to take it because you were off dealing with the final protest of the weekend. Lol) You handled everything the weekend, the teams, the officials, and I threw at you. Thank you for leading the show and keeping everyone on task.
Courtney, you made sure everyone knew where they needed to be, when they needed to be there and had the equipment/supplies and instructions to get their jobs done. Coordinating volunteers is never a small task but you did a wonderful job and your positivity is always a bright spot at any event.
You have both been incredible additions to our staff already and I look forward to the years to come and everything we can and will accomplish together.
Noelle, Michael and Brooke-Lynn, thank you for loving this sport and our community enough to help when we need you. The fact that you are willing to come back and support major events like this is a testament to what we have been building as an organization since 2018.
No event will ever be perfect and we had our fair share of hiccups. We appreciate the patience and understanding that you, our members, gift us on an ongoing basis. We will continue to work, learn from our mistakes and strive to provide the best possible experience to all.
Thank you ALL for everything. I am eternally grateful.
~Alanna B~