Showcasing soccer

The University of Manitoba Bison soccer program is celebrating past, present and future athletes at their first-ever scholarship fundraising and awards dinner on May 23.

Emceed by local sportscaster Mitch Peacock, the evening will see proceeds go to support student athletic scholarship needs of the women’s soccer program.

“We are very excited to host the first-ever event of this type in the history of our program,” said Bison women’s soccer head coach Vanessa Martinez Lagunas. “The main goal is to help us increase our scholarship fund in order to enable us to keep supporting our current players and attracting more talented players at the local, national and international level.”

Guest speaking at the event is 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist and Bison alumna Desiree Scott.

“It is an honour to come back to my university and be able to share a little about the journey soccer has taken me on,” said Scott. “I think sport provides a lot of value to a persons life and I hope that by sharing my story, aspiring and current athletes can see that, with a strong desire to be the best you possibly can, dreams do come true.”

Scott, 28, has appeared in over 100 matches including playing for Canada’s national women’s soccer senior team. She won an Olympic bronze medal in 2012 and earned a starter role during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. Through all of this, Scott has never forgotten where she perfected her craft.

“The Bison program helped me to continue to grow and learn as a player by providing me the opportunity to play at the university level without having to leave my hometown,” she said. “Being able to train day in and day out in a competitive environment with some of the best Manitoban players allowed me to continue enjoying the game I love while getting a university degree. The level of coaching available allowed me to bring out my individuality on the pitch but also provided a strong program for me to continue to develop the skills and mindset necessary to get to the next level.”

The fundraising dinner takes place at Canad Inns – Destination Centre Fort Garry (1824 Pembina). It starts with cocktails at 4:00pm followed by dinner at 5:00pm.

Individual tickets are $175 and corporate tables are $1400. All donations (directed to the scholarship fund) will be matched by the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative.

For additional Bison women’s soccer scholarship fundraiser event information, contact Donna Wilford, Chairperson of Organizing Committee: phone at 204-890-4442; email at donnawilford@mymts.net.

Chris Reid