September 23, 2003
For immediate release
Top Nova Scotian athletes with a disability honoured
Dartmouth, NS – Four athletes, a coach and a sport organization were honoured this past Friday, September 19 at the second annual Excellence in Action fundraiser dinner. The individuals and organization were recognized for excelling in the area of sport for the disabled.
The awards and recipients were as follows:
Awareness in Action Award
Alpine Ski Nova Scotia
This award is given to an individual or organization who has best promoted awareness/education of the Paralympic movement in Nova Scotia.
Hall of Excellence Awards
Julie Daisley: Athlete, Lawn Bowling -- Dartmouth
Susan MacLeod: Coach, Swimming -- Halifax
John MacPherson: Athlete, Table Tennis -- Dartmouth
Barry Patriquin: Athlete, Wheelchair Athletics -- Oxford
Lionel Simpson: Athlete, Ambulatory Track -- Dartmouth
These awards were given to four athletes and a coach who have demonstrated sport excellence. All have competed at national and international sporting events for athletes with a disability.
Two Excellence in Action Grants, at a total value of $3,000, were also presented at the event. The Grants are new this year and were made possible from the funds raised at the first Excellence in Action dinner held last year.
The grant recipients were:
Gordon Publicover, Halifax
Mr. Publicover’s $1,000 Grant will support him in his preparation for and participation in national and international wheelchair rugby competitions.
Wheelchair Sports Federation of Nova Scotia, Halifax
The $2,000 Grant given to this organization will support its objectives to provide sport opportunities for disabled Nova Scotians and to develop an infrastructure to increase the awareness of disabled sport and help disabled individuals become informed and inspired to participate.
The Excellence in Action event is organized by the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and presented by Global. In addition to raising funds and awareness for current athletes with a disability and Paralympians, Excellence in Action also aims to create opportunities to help Nova Scotians with a disability who are not yet experiencing the benefits of sport to get involved.
Close to 300 guests from the medical, sport, government and business communities attended the Excellence in Action celebration.
For broadcast use:
Top Nova Scotian athletes with a disability were honoured last Friday evening. Four athletes, a coach and a sport organization were recognized for excelling in the area of sport for the disabled.
Alpine Ski Nova Scotia was given the Awareness in Action award for their efforts to raise awareness of the Paralympic movement. Four athletes and a coach were inducted in the Hall of Excellence. They were swimming coach from Halifax, Susan MacLeod; table tennis player from Dartmouth, John MacPherson; lawn bowler from Dartmouth, Julie Daisley; wheelchair athlete from Oxford, Barry Patriquin; and ambulatory track athlete Lionel Simpson of Dartmouth.
The awards ceremony took place at the second annual Excellence in Action fundraising dinner. The event organized by the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, Sport Nova Scotia and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and presented by Global to raise awareness and funds to help Nova Scotians with a disability get and stay involved in sport.
For photos of the award winners contact the Medical Society of Nova Scotia.
The Medical Society of Nova Scotia is the professional society representing all physicians in the province of Nova Scotia. The Society works in partnership with other health care organizations to enhance the quality of medical care for Nova Scotians. This is achieved through public education, development of health care policies, peer review, medical education and negotiations with government on behalf of physicians.
Sport Nova Scotia is the governing body for amateur sport in Nova Scotia. The organization is a non-profit federation of over 60 provincial sport governing bodies representing over 162,000 registered sport participants across the province.
Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic (CSCA) is part of a national network of multisport centres that provides services to Canada’s high performance athletes. Over 200 athletes are currently individually supported through the CSCA as well as Canada Games athletes in all four Atlantic Provinces.
Contact:
Samantha Holmes
Communications Officer
Medical Society of Nova Scotia
(902) 468-1866 ext. 242
samantha.holmes@doctorsns.com
Heather Blore
Public Relations Officer
Sport Nova Scotia
(902) 425-5454 ext. 321
hblore@sportns.ns.ca