A surprise gift highlighted the UBC Okanagan scholarship breakfast Friday morning as the family of one its top athletes made a major donation.
Graduating volleyball student Megan Festival shocked the crowd鈥攊ncluding university officials鈥攚hen she announced her family will donate $25,000 to the Heat women鈥檚 volleyball team.
It marked a bittersweet farewell to university sports for Festival as the soon-to-be graduate thanked UBC for the many opportunities that came her way during her five years as a Heat athlete.
Festival joined the women鈥檚 volleyball team in 2012 and played alongside her older sister Jillian for two years. Both Festival athletes were an integral part of the volleyball team鈥檚 successes.
鈥淲e are extremely thankful to the Festivals鈥攎ost of all for trusting us with their wonderful daughters Jill and Megan for the past eight years,鈥� said UBCO director of athletics and recreation Rob Johnson. 鈥淎nd, having had the opportunity of getting to know parents John and Janette, while I was unaware of their plan to make a gift this morning, I am not surprised.
鈥淭hey have been consistent and thoughtful fans and supporters of our program from the beginning, and this generous gift will help the program continue to thrive in the future. On many levels, our program is stronger from their involvement.鈥�
Close to 350 people gathered for the 12th annual breakfast, which not only recognizes student accomplishments, but also raises money for the student athlete scholarship endowments.
It was a morning to shine light on the accomplishments of the athletes and UBC President Santa Ono took the opportunity to congratulate the student athletes, encouraging those in attendance to stand for a round of applause.
A self-confessed sports fan, Ono told the audience that athletics means more than scoreboards and trophies.
鈥淭here is nothing more powerful than athletics to bring an institution together,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t brings faculty, administration, and staff together and builds the spirit in our institution while bringing the community together.鈥�
Ono took time to remark on this year鈥檚 accomplishments of the Heat athletes, which featured 34 academic All-Canadians, 14 National Scholar Athletes, two Canada West All-Stars, two Canada West All-Rookie team selections, and one CCAA All-Canadian. The women鈥檚 cross country team won the CCAA National Championship, the women鈥檚 volleyball team qualified for the Canada West Final Four for the fourth straight year, men鈥檚 volleyball had its best record since joining the U Sports, and both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 soccer teams qualified for Canada West Playoffs.
鈥淥ur student athletes are wonderful ambassadors for the university,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey really have two full-time jobs between practicing, travelling, and competing at the highest level. They are the superstars in our institution and we couldn鈥檛 be more proud of them.鈥�
Special guest at the breakfast, Doug Mitchell also had a strong message for the full house. Mitchell who has been an ambassador for all levels of sport, from amateur athletics to the National Hockey League, to Commissioner of the CFL to his current role as a board member of the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
鈥淎 university degree can open many doors for you, but it doesn鈥檛 give you the steps you earn when you play varsity athletics,鈥� he said. 鈥淟earning to manage your schedule鈥攂etween practices, travelling and keeping up with your academics鈥攕ets you at an advantage for the rest of your life.鈥�
With the gift from the Festival family, more than $75,000 was raised at this year鈥檚 event, bringing the endowment total to over $800,000.
