K-W Athlete of the Year Award Ceremony Postponed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic
Safety concerns and the uncertainty of our “New Now” have guided the Organizing Committee’s decision
to delay the announcement of the Athlete of the Year
[KITCHENER, ON, March 26, 2020] The Athlete of the Year Kitchener-Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich Organizing Committee of the has decided to postpone the award ceremony in light of the COVID-19 situation. While there is consensus, within the organizing committee, that an “in person” event to celebrate the achievements of our nominated athletes is still an important facet of the Athlete of the Year program, the health and safety of our athletes and the greater community should take precedence.
The committee quickly acknowledged that it would not be possible to keep or even set a date for in in-person ceremony at this time. A number of options were considered by the Organizing Committee that led to an agreement to postpone the award ceremony until later in the year would allow us to maintain the tradition of showcasing each of the nominees and presenting the award and a live event.
"Our team of volunteers were able to come to a consensus to make a responsible decision to keep our athletes and community safe during this uncertain time, by postponing the public ceremony. The organizing committee is passionate about ensuring that the tradition of a public event is the most appropriate way to honour athletic excellence. We recognize that no one has a crystal ball to tell us when it will be safe, so we will defer the final decision to set the date and location. In the meantime, all of our committees are eager to continue moving forward with nomination and selection activities, so that when we are able to set the date, we will be fully prepared.” AotY Chair John Thompson
Athlete of the Year Kitchener-Waterloo, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich was established in in 1997 with a goal to recognize athletic excellence in a meaningful way.
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Update: On October 13, it was announced that the awards will be presented at an on-line meeting (via ZOOM) on
Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 6:00 pm.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Bob Stebbings at 519-2418295, or email bob.stebbings@rogers.com