Sport Calgary is very pleased to announce the recipients of the Sport Leadership and Excellence Award, Business and Sport Excellence Award and also the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority inaugural award, Event Champion of the Year.

The Sport Leadership and Excellence Award recognizes and celebrates the outstanding contribution of a sport organization to the betterment of sport in Calgary.  The 2012 recipient is:

WinSport Canada

For more than two decades, WinSport Canada has successfully maintained, operated and funded the
1988 Olympic Winter Games legacy facilities.  In doing so, WinSport Canada has given the necessary training facilities to Our Olympic, Paralympic, High Performance and Developmental Athletes, aiding the success of the ‘Own the Podium’ program at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.  Their sport venues have played a crucial role in developing this country’s elite athletes and providing a recreational playground for Calgary youth and adults to discover and get involved in sport.  WinSport has supported All Sport One Day as a host facility since 2009. With the major expansion almost complete, and the high performance training centre set to open its doors in early 2013, WinSport Canada is truly one of the best high performance centres in Canada.  This will continue to be a place where Canadian athletes, of all ages and skill levels will come together to create a culture of excellence.

The Business and Sport Excellence Award recognizes and celebrates a business that provides outstanding, innovative and consistent support to sport in Calgary.  The 2012 recipient is:

Tuxedo Source for Sports

Tuxedo Source for Sports is a family owned business well known for helping numerous non-profit organizations over their 50 years of operating in Calgary. The Gregory family typically receives 5 to 8 donation requests per week to support non profit organization programs. Though they cannot support every request, they do their best to support many of the suggested projects. They live, work, and play in the community, so don’t be surprised to see their logo in sports like softball, hockey, and field lacrosse, among others.  Tuxedo Source for Sports encourages citizens to bring in their second hand bikes, which their employees then fix up, and donate to Hull Services.  They facilitate change through their commitment to continuously supporting organizations by donating equipment, time and money.  The transformational impact possible through philanthropic investment is well understood by Tuxedo Source for Sports. Over the years, many non profits have benefitted from their generosity.

Chairman of 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship - Jim Peplinski

The inaugural Event Champion of the Year Award recognizes outstanding leadership and an exceptional contribution to the attraction and delivery of a world-class sport event.  Presented by our partners in sport the Calgary Sport Tourism Authority.  

Major events bring significant economic benefit, they raise a city’s profile and attract visitors from around the world.  They inspire communities and motivate our youth to become active and participate in sport.  This is why bidding for and attracting events has become a sophisticated, strategic and tactical pursuit.  However, attracting world class events requires more than a strong strategy. It requires local champions and passionate volunteers.  

The 2012 World Junior Championship was a resounding success. It set new records, and is the new standard by which all future World Juniors will be measured. It raised the bar because the Province of Alberta was united. It succeeded because Calgary and Edmonton worked together, for the first time. It succeeded, because of the time, effort, unwavering commitment and exceptional leadership made by local champions.  And no one made more of a contribution to the success of the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship than Jim Peplinski.