Hoopla: President’s Celebration of OC Coyotes Basketball
Okanagan College Media Release
Okanagan College’s Coyotes basketball teams invite you to mix and mingle with the players, coaches and supporters at the third annual Hoopla fundraiser.
“Our women’s and men’s basketball teams have performed admirably and won a lot of respect both on and off the court,” says Jim Hamilton, Okanagan College President. “It’s been thrilling to see them develop as teams over the past couple of years, and to witness the time and energy they’ve invested in mentoring youth. This event is a great opportunity to celebrate the teams’ successes after their first season of official league play.”
The fundraiser takes place Thursday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus.
Attendees can participate in silent and live auctions, enjoy a cash bar with local VQA wines, beer and cider from Big Surf brewery, and savour gourmet bites prepared by the OC Culinary Arts students and staff.
Last May, after a year of exhibition games, coaches and members of the Kelowna College Basketball Society (KCBS) found out that the men’s and women’s teams would officially join the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). Three Coyotes earned honours from PACWEST: Sapna Deo, Seth Blundell and Megan Blair.
Now, as their first season in PACWEST has come to a close, head coach of the men’s team, and president of the KCBS, Dino Gini, could not be more proud.
“In our first year, both teams made the playoffs, which is an incredible accomplishment,” says Gini. “It’s pretty surreal to think about how quickly our program has grown and how passionate the community is about supporting what we are doing. We are proud to have the OC logo on our chest.”
The Coyotes are also giving back to the community with a social campaign: Values over Victory. This project is driven by athletes to encourage children to showcase their values to the world both on and offline. The players have become peer-mentors, and visit classrooms around the community to talk to children about the importance of being responsible on social media.
“Teaming up with Values over Victory has given our program the opportunity to be a part of a positive movement that extends off the court and into our community,” says Jeff Tubbs, captain of the men’s team. “I’m extremely proud of our guys for taking ownership and giving back. We’re all looking forward to seeing some of the community at Hoopla, without them we couldn’t do what we do.”
Special guest speaker Tom Budd will also be at the fundraiser. Budd’s journey is one of healing and finding hope, and will talk of the value of giving while bringing attention to health and wellness.
“We are extremely honoured to have Tom as our special guest speaker,” adds Gini. “He is extremely motivational when it comes to his story about mental health and wellness.”
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Okanagan College’s Coyotes basketball teams invite you to mix and mingle with the players, coaches and supporters at the third annual Hoopla fundraiser.
“Our women’s and men’s basketball teams have performed admirably and won a lot of respect both on and off the court,” says Jim Hamilton, Okanagan College President. “It’s been thrilling to see them develop as teams over the past couple of years, and to witness the time and energy they’ve invested in mentoring youth. This event is a great opportunity to celebrate the teams’ successes after their first season of official league play.”
The fundraiser takes place Thursday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the Atrium of the Centre for Learning building at the Kelowna campus.
Attendees can participate in silent and live auctions, enjoy a cash bar with local VQA wines, beer and cider from Big Surf brewery, and savour gourmet bites prepared by the OC Culinary Arts students and staff.
Last May, after a year of exhibition games, coaches and members of the Kelowna College Basketball Society (KCBS) found out that the men’s and women’s teams would officially join the Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST). Three Coyotes earned honours from PACWEST: Sapna Deo, Seth Blundell and Megan Blair.
Now, as their first season in PACWEST has come to a close, head coach of the men’s team, and president of the KCBS, Dino Gini, could not be more proud.
“In our first year, both teams made the playoffs, which is an incredible accomplishment,” says Gini. “It’s pretty surreal to think about how quickly our program has grown and how passionate the community is about supporting what we are doing. We are proud to have the OC logo on our chest.”
The Coyotes are also giving back to the community with a social campaign: Values over Victory. This project is driven by athletes to encourage children to showcase their values to the world both on and offline. The players have become peer-mentors, and visit classrooms around the community to talk to children about the importance of being responsible on social media.
“Teaming up with Values over Victory has given our program the opportunity to be a part of a positive movement that extends off the court and into our community,” says Jeff Tubbs, captain of the men’s team. “I’m extremely proud of our guys for taking ownership and giving back. We’re all looking forward to seeing some of the community at Hoopla, without them we couldn’t do what we do.”
Special guest speaker Tom Budd will also be at the fundraiser. Budd’s journey is one of healing and finding hope, and will talk of the value of giving while bringing attention to health and wellness.
“We are extremely honoured to have Tom as our special guest speaker,” adds Gini. “He is extremely motivational when it comes to his story about mental health and wellness.”
Tickets are $40 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
