Outstanding Evening

Take a look at that gang to the left. That's not a group I'd mess with if I were out on the ice. You're likely to end up with broken ankles with all the dekes, jukes, and dangles that would hit you. In saying that, however, I was lucky enough to see these amazing women - Rachel Dyck, Alana Serhan, Venla Hovi, Amanda Schubert, and Maggie Litchfield-Medd, from left to right - at the 2020 Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fundraising Reception last night where I emceed the event. Now you might be asking why the hockey programs at the University of Manitoba need a fundraiser for scholarship monies, and it's because the men and women from the UofM do some amazing work in the classroom and community and should be rewarded for that work.

We have to remember that these athletes are student-athletes with the most important word coming first in that phrase: student-athlete. Watching these great players do their thing on the ice, we may forget the fact that these athletes are, indeed, students first and athletes second at the University of Manitoba, and this is why the Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fund is so important. Without the education component, the hockey wouldn't be an option at university.

In saying that, I want to point out the amazing work being done by all our athletes, both past and present, while in the classroom. We know what they're doing on the ice as we can check the stats and see the boxscores, but it's in the classroom where I believe that these men and women are truly excelling.

Last year, 129 students were awarded Academic All-Canadian status by U SPORTS for maintaining a 3.5 grade-point average – that's an 80% average to the layperson like me. That represents the most Academic All-Canadians at the University of Manitoba ever in one season of athletic competition. It's also the third-straight year where a new record has been set in terms of the number of Academic All-Canadians at the university, and it's the ninth-straight year of competition where the University of Manitoba has featured 85 or more Academic All-Canadians. Of those 129 athletes who achieved the Academic All-Canadian status, it should also be noted that 62 also had GPAs of 4.0 or higher, and 74 of the 129 Academic All-Canadians were women!

If we break this down a little more granular, 21 hockey players achieved Academic All-Canadian status last year, and three Bisons women's hockey players were recognized as an Academic All-Canadian in all five years of their university careers: Alexandra Anderson, Erin Kucheravy, and Alanna Sharman. That take some serious dedication to the work they're doing in the classroom when you consider that all three played five years of hockey that saw them win a U SPORTS National Championship and attend two separate National Championship tournaments. With all of the travel done in Canada West, a lot of the homework and studying these women did was on the road, and they still maintained a minimum 3.5 GPA for all five years! That is OUTSTANDING!

With the hard work being done in the classroom, on the road, in practice, and in games, the Bisons have little time for anything else, right? Well, that answer is "no" when one considers that they're heavily involved in community initiatives as well. In fact, the Bisons hockey programs requires players to be good leaders in the classroom, on the ice, and in the community! The Bisons are certainly doing some impressive stuff in the community as well, showing excellent leadership both for younger fans and their colleagues at the University of Manitoba. These initiatives include:

• Bisons Book Buddies where Bisons go out to elementary schools and read with students.
• Bisons Against Bullying where Bisons conduct anti-bullying workshops for students in Grades 4-6 around the city.
• Siloam Mission days where Bisons volunteer at Siloam Mission to help the most vulnerable people in our communities.
• One Minute Movement where the Bisons devote one minute to helping someone else for every hour they spend on themselves – whether it be studying, practicing, or hitting the gym – in order to change at least one life; and,
• Bell Let's Talk where Bisons show their support for mental health initiatives across Canada while pledging support to specific causes on their own.

Now, you might be wondering how these men and women are able to participate in these amazing initiatives, maintain their GPAs in order to play hockey, and play said hockey while representing the university while trying to earn enough dollars and cents to pay for the ever-increasing costs of tuition. Personally, I know it's not easy for these students with all of these responsibilities placed upon them, and that’s where the Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fund comes in because the Bisons Hockey programs feel that our student-athletes, in showing their commitments to their teams, their academic careers, and their community, should be able to earn a bit of a tuition break after working hard in the classroom, making us proud on the ice, and making a difference in our community.

I can hear some of you saying that it's not your job to help put these kids through school. I get that - university tuition is expensive and we all have bills to pay and expenses to cover. Because the Scholarship Fund is a registered charity, though, you will get a credit for it that you can put towards your tax breaks for this year (or any future year)! Maybe you need a little help avoiding the taxman or want to top up your donation levels to keep CRA from grabbing any of those funds, you can get a tax receipt for your donation to the Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fund!

In the end, your money goes to a great cause if you happen to donate, you get a break on your taxes, and a hockey player at the University of Manitoba can continue to earn great grades, bring home big wins, and continue to make out communities better without having to worry about squeezing a few extra minutes out of a part-time job. If nothing else, just take the selfish reason and help yourself with the tax option alone!

To donate to the Bisons Women's Hockey Scholarship Fund, please click here. To donate to the Bisons Men's Hockey Scholarship Fund, please click here. If you have any questions about the Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fund, please email the University of Manitoba here.

To those who attended the 2020 Bisons Hockey Scholarship Fundraising Reception last night, the Bisons Hockey programs are eternally grateful for your support. To those who have given in the past, I can say, on behalf of Bisons Sports, that your support then and now is also greatly appreciated. And for those looking to give to beat the taxman and/or because of your belief in the Bisons Hockey programs, Bisons Hockey appreciates your generosity and your continued support.

A great night was had by all last night, and here's hoping the Bisons Hockey programs raised a ton of money to help their amazing student-athletes get ahead in the classroom, on the ice, and out in the community!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!