Whitby Sports Hall of Fame – 26th Induction Gala

On the evening of April 27, 2024, the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame hosted its 25th Induction Gala, and from all accounts, the event was a resounding success.

An audience of 181 guests attended at Royal Ashburn Golf Club as the Hall recognized its Class of 2024: Roxanne Curtis (Builder – Lacrosse), Cam Stones (Athlete – Bobsleigh) and the 1984 Minto Cup Champion Whitby Warriors (Team – Lacrosse).

Roxanne, Cam, and Kevin Van Sickle (on behalf of the 1984 Warriors), all referred to the importance of family, teamwork, perseverance, and community support as key motivating factors to achieving success throughout their careers. They also spoke proudly of their accomplishments as representatives of the Town of Whitby, ranging from local venues to the international stage, and how meaningful it was to them, and those around them, that they were being honoured by their hometown that evening.

The Hall of Fame committee also took the opportunity individually acknowledge 17 past inductees who were in the audience that evening. Furthermore, two local student athletes were introduced and recognized for their success to date: Maria Sandor (cross country), the individual and team gold medalist at the 2023 Ontario Cross Country championships, and Nolan Buie (track and field), currently ranked #6 and #8 in Canada at the 1500m and 3000m distances respectively in the U18 age category.

Our keynote speaker for the Gala was Sami Jo Small, 2-Time Olympic Gold Medalist and 5-Time World Champion in Women’s Ice Hockey. Sami Jo spoke very eloquently about her career path from minor hockey in Winnipeg, to college hockey at Stanford, to making the Canadian National Team roster, and how one’s positive attitude and perspective can help in achieving their goals while overcoming obstacles and stereotypes along the way.

The evening included a live auction, courtesy of Whitby Watch Co. and the Fourth Period Charity Golf Classic, and a 50-plus-item silent auction, along with a surprise presentation to every attendee (of legal drinking age) – a commemorative label beer can, created by 2024 Gala Sponsor, Brock Street Brewing Company. This unique limited-edition can was designed to honour and celebrate the Class of 2024, and guests each received one can as they left the Gala that night. We acknowledge the brewery, and in particular co-owners Chris Vanclief and Mark Woitzik, for creating this label and for their long-standing support of the Hall of Fame and our inductees.

The Whitby Sports Hall of Fame committee expresses sincere thanks to all friends of the Hall who attended the 2024 Gala, as well as our Corporate Partners, Gala Sponsors, and our numerous advertisers and auction item donors for their kindness and generosity as we continually strive to fulfill our mandate to preserve, promote, and celebrate the history of sports in our community.