Our 2019 Annual General Meeting and Awards Banquet is being held on Saturday, November 16th, at the Village Park Inn, 1804 Crowchild Trail NW (across from McMahon Stadium).
The event includes a buffet dinner, following the business meeting which starts at 6 pm. Once we’re done with the business of electing a new executive and approving financials we move on to the fun and interesting parts of the evening, the awards presentation and our guest speaker address. We are proud to welcome Paralympian and medalist Mark Arendz, as our guest speaker this year.
This evening is a great opportunity to get together with fellow athletes, coaches, parents and other guests to celebrate the achievements of the past year including athlete awards and a slide show featuring our athletes in action.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase directly from this link for $25.00 per adult and $10 for kids 10 and under. Don’t wait too long – tickets may sell out!
Mark Arendz
With achievements almost too numerous to mention, Mark was Canada’s flag-bearer for the Paralympics closing ceremony in Pyeong Chang in 2018. Six medals at the Games, included biathlon gold, silver and bronze in the 7.5 km and 12.5 km standing biathlon, two bronze medals in cross country skiing and silver in the cross-country mixed relay. In the 2014 Paralympics held in Sochi, Mark also won silver and bronze in the 7.5 biathlon standing sprint and bronze in men’s 12.5 km biathlon standing middle distance in Sochi.
Mark grew up on a farm in Prince Edward Island. At the age of seven, he lost his left arm in a farming accident. Mark never let his disability hold him back. After his accident and before he took on biathlon, he competed in soccer, volleyball, basketball, cross-country, athletics and cycling. At the young age of 11, he became interested in biathlon while watching the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He never looked back.
Mark also gives back to the community, working with the War Amps as a counsellor to teach others about the importance of farm safety. And after the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Arendz traveled to Nicaragua to help build a school.
Mark is a member of the Order of Prince Edward Island (2018), a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award (2012), the Open Male Athlete of the Year by Alberta Sport (2018 and 2013), and numerous awards in PEI including the Lieutenant Governor’s Award (4 years) and the Senior Male Athlete of the Year (4 years).
Mark now lives in Canmore and is actively training for the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China.
We look forward to hearing about Mark’s incredible journey. If you would like to learn a little about Mark before he speaks to us at our Awards Evening and AGM, click here or on the image to watch Mark’s video
