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‘MVP’ event to get ball rolling for Surrey Sports Hall of Fame in mid-September

‘Partially housed online, Surrey Sports Hall of Fame will also include a small home in Downtown Surrey’
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Surrey-raised hockey player Colin Fraser, shown here with the Stanley Cup in 2010, would be a strong candidate for induction in a Sports Hall of Fame in Surrey. (File photo)

Creation of a Surrey Sports Hall of Fame will get a financial lift during a mid-September event.

The Downtown Surrey BIA (Business Improvement Association) is hosting a “MVP Invitational” fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 16, at Civic Hotel from 4 to 6 p.m.

Event organizers aim to “get the ball rolling” for a sports hall of fame in Surrey, in partnership with SurreyCares Community Foundation, who’ll manage the funding.

“Partially housed online, Surrey Sports Hall of Fame will also include a small home in Downtown Surrey as well as a mobile unit that will travel to local recreation centres for special events and tournaments,” the BIA says in an event advisory.

Some “special guests” are invited to the ‘MVP’ event, to include sports-themed drinks, snack and activities. “We are asking everyone who attends to wear clothing representing their favourite sporting attire – golf, hockey, soccer, baseball, bowling, running or whatever suits you best,” event organizers say.

The $50 tickets are sold on eventbrite.ca.

• RELATED: Surrey Sports Museum dream for Ironman athlete who kick-started funding drive.

Last September, an endowment fund aimed to create a Surrey Sports Museum, with a launch donation of $1,000 from avid Ironman competitor Elizabeth Model, CEO of the Downtown Surrey BIA.

The museum would “commemorate Surrey’s athletes who have demonstrated the mental fortitude and commitment to take their athletic performance to the highest level,” according to a news release from SurreyCares on Sept. 23, 2021.

Two months later, in November 2021, a virtual model for a Surrey Sports Hall of Fame was pitched by the City of Surrey as “a highly accessible” and “contemporary” venue to honour Surrey residents for outstanding achievements in sport.

A virtual sports hall “provides all the benefits of a real-world museum without the limitations,” noted a report from Laurie Cavan, Surrey’s general manager of Parks, Recreation & Culture, pointing to examples of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and BC Sports Hall of Fame. The “total estimated one-time cost” to establish a “SVHOF” is estimated at $400,000, said the 2021 report to city council.



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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