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2019 Canada Winter Games

Olympic Medalist a little intimidated at the thought of dancing for Red Deer crowd…

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The Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off is coming April 14th and the brave souls who’ve stepped up to help raise money for the Canada Games Celebration Plaza are in full practice and fundraising mode.  You can help them out.

Mellisa Hollingsworth  is a two time World Champion Skeleton Racer and 2006 Olympic Bronze medalist.   She now lives in Central Alberta and works as a realtor with the Dusty Smith Team

As you’ll hear in this interview, Mellisa may not know much about dancing… but she’s a quick learner and a hard worker!

My Story…

A country girl at heart, I grew up on a ranch near Eckville where my parents raised bucking horses. At the age of 15, I was introduced me to the sport of Skeleton and three months later I was crowned Canadian Champion which sparked my Olympic dream. I fell short of qualifying for 2002 Olympics, but it was the best thing for my career as I dug deeper and went on to win 2006 Overall Championship & Olympic Bronze Medal in Torino, Italy. Four years later I repeated this and was the Gold medal favorite at our home Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler. A costly error in my final run dropped me off the podium. Known for my tearful apology to Canadians, I was surprised to be embraced by our country. I committed to another Olympics in Sochi, Russia as well as speaking all over Canada about the impact of owning your actions, risk taking and dreaming big. I have joined the Dusty Smith Team Royal LePage Network Realty and am a host/analyst for CBC during Calgary Stampede.

Here are some artist renderings of our future community space, Canada Games Celebration Plaza!

CELEBRATING THE GOOD WORKS IN OUR COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY INITIATIVE The Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off (SCDO) is a community builder initiative that brings together the professional dance community, community leaders, the business community and many talented volunteers to build awareness and raise funds for the great works happening in our community. It's about Red Deer coming together to Share the Magic! RED DEER'S PREMIER ANNUAL GALA Every year 8 community leaders step out of their comfort zone accepting the challenge to raise $15,000 for a chosen charity and, with the assistance of a professional dance instructor, learn a dance routine which he/she will perform on the night of the event. It is a sold-out event! Over eight hundred people from all walks of life attend the event supporting their favourite dance couple and the chosen charity. By now the audience is hyped right up and eager to hit the dance floor so the evening closes with a public dance with the popular Calgary band Dr. Zeus and the Who!

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2019 Canada Winter Games

Red Deer’s Lyn Radford joins new Chair Catriona Le May Doan on Canada Games Council

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News release from the Canada Games Council

Hall of Fame Athlete Elected Chair of Canada Games Council Board of Directors

The Canada Games Council (CGC) is thrilled to announce the election of Canadian sport legend Catriona Le May Doan as Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. Joining Le May Doan in officer positions are Vice-Chair Sean O’Donnell, Treasurer Sheri Somerville and Secretary Lyn Radford.

“I am very excited and honoured to be taking on the role of Chair of the Canada Games Council,” said Le May Doan. “I have been a part of the Canada Games Movement for almost 42 years. The Canada Games were my first multi-sport Games and had a huge impact on my career and I continue to believe in and witness the power of the Canada Games in building sport in our country, but also strengthening our communities.”

A three-time Olympic medallist and icon in Canadian speed skating, Le May Doan is a true champion on and off the field of play. She is a tireless ambassador for the transformational power of sport and a distinguished member of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canada Games Hall of Honour.

A Canada Games alum in both speed skating and athletics for Team Saskatchewan, Le May Doan is currently the President and CEO of Sport Calgary. She recently served as Team Canada’s Chef de Mission at the Olympic Winter Games in 2022.

A longtime CGC board member, Le May Doan takes over the reins from outgoing Chair Evan Johnston, who is stepping down after 10 years on the board as he takes on the new role as President and CEO of The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company in January.

“On behalf of the entire Canada Games family, I’d like to thank Evan for his decade of volunteer service to the Canada Games Movement and his invaluable guidance and mentorship to our CGC Board and staff as Chair of the Canada Games Council,” said Kelly-Ann Paul, CGC President and CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Catriona at the helm and know her strategic leadership will continue to solidify the foundation of our organization so that the Canada Games strengthen the fabric of our nation from coast to coast to coast.”

“I hope to continue the great work that Evan has done and I thank him for his leadership,” said Le May Doan. “I am looking forward to working with the incredible CGC team and our network of partners for the upcoming Games in St. John’s next summer, and then in Quebec City in 2027, where we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Games.  Together, we will continue to spark greatness in Canadians through the Canada Games.”

Those filling the remaining officer positions have all been on the CGC Board since 2022.

O’Donnell brings extensive executive experience in the federal public service and the Canadian sport system to the Vice-Chair role. Somerville is a business executive, entrepreneur, and award-winning PR consultant, all of which will serve her well as Treasurer. Radford brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in revenue generation for non-profit and sport organizations, as well as a Host Society leadership lens, to the role of Secretary.

The next Canada Summer Games take place from August 8-25, 2025 in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, while the next Canada Winter Games will unfold in Quebec City from February 27 to March 14, 2027.

About the Canada Games Council

The Canada Games Council, a private, non-profit organization, is the governing body for the Canada Games. Held once every two years, alternating between winter and summer, the Canada Games represent the highest level of national competition for up and coming Canadian athletes. The Games have been hosted in every province at least twice since their inception in Quebec City during Canada’s Centennial in 1967. The Games are proud of their contribution to Canada’s sport development system, in addition to their lasting legacy of sport facilities, community pride and national unity. The organization of the Canada Games is made possible through the tireless dedication of local Host Societies and the contribution and support of the federal, provincial/territorial and host municipal governments.

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2019 Canada Winter Games

Gift that keeps giving: 35 Alberta non-profits funded through the 2019 Canada Winter Games Legacy Fund

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From the Canada Games Council

LEGACIES OF THE 2019 CANADA WINTER GAMES CONTINUE TO GROW

Legacy Fund Society awards legacy funds to not-for-profits across Alberta

The 2019 Canada Winter Games Legacy Fund Society has awarded the financial legacy from the 2019 Games to not-for-profit sport and community organizations across Alberta.

“The Legacy Fund Society is pleased to announce that we have awarded $655,000 in grants to 35 not-for-profit sport and community organizations across Alberta,” said Guy Pelletier, Legacy Fund Society Chair. “The grants support a wide variety of projects across the province. These organizations and their respective projects build on the numerous legacies of the 2019 Games.”

Through a grant application process in early 2021, the Legacy Fund Society received and reviewed funding requests for 200 projects from nearly 150 organizations at a value of over $7.1 million.‍

“The response to our call for applications was phenomenal. There was no shortage of meaningful and innovative projects,” said Pelletier.

“The 2019 Canada Games in Red Deer were truly transformative and continue to foster meaningful legacies across Alberta,” said Kelly-Ann Paul, Senior Vice-President of Host Relations at the Canada Games Council. “These legacy grants will enrich and uplift organizations and communities as we strive to strengthen the fabric of Canada through the power of sport.”

Requests for funding were reviewed and evaluated based on their alignment with the values of the 2019 Games and distributed in four categories: athlete and coach or official development; infrastructure or equipment development or acquisition; sport development capacity building; and non-sport or discretionary projects.

The following is a listing of the organizations who were awarded funding:

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