In terms of funds raised, the UNBC Timberwolves Legacy Breakfast really sizzled this year.
The event, Feb. 7 at the Northern Sport Centre with Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold-medalist Theo Fleury as the keynote speaker, generated more than $54,000 - the highest total to date. All money will go toward scholarships and bursaries for UNBC student-athletes.
This was the third annual Legacy Breakfast. The 2015 and 2016 events, which featured inspirational words from five-time Olympic hockey champion Hayley Wickenheiser and football hall-of-famer Michael 'Pinball' Clemons, raised $40,000 and $52,000 respectively.
"Every year it goes up," said Loralyn Murdoch, director of athletics and recreation at UNBC. "Three years and three phenomenal speakers. The community has been so supportive. This year was a new record for attendance and we really have to figure out what we have to do to get people back in the room and provide them with a really great experience (next year)."
Five hundred people attended this year's breakfast and listened to Fleury's speech, titled Don't Quit Before the Miracle. In his address, Fleury spoke about the childhood sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of junior hockey coach Graham James and the impact that abuse had on him as he moved forward in life and hockey.
The success of the Legacy Breakfast will mean an increase in the scholarship and bursary budget, which Murdoch said will prove invaluable as UNBC continues to build its soccer and basketball programs within the Canada West Universities Athletic Association.
"Without scholarships and bursaries, we would not be able to attract the best student-athletes to UNBC," she said. "It is so important for our coaches to go out into the community, or the province, nationally or internationally, and provide students with some funding."
For the third consecutive year, Canadian Tire was the presenting sponsor of the UNBC Timberwolves Legacy Breakfast. Along with providing financial support for the breakfast, Canadian Tire and Capri Insurance sponsored an event on Feb. 6 at the College of New Caledonia, where Fleury addressed at-risk youth.
"There were 200 people in attendance, and Theo's message there was free to all," Murdoch said. "It was an open environment and it was hugely important for us to offer that to this community.
"A huge thank you to Canadian Tire. Without them, Theo would have never been able to come."
