Former Calgary Stampeder running back Jon Cornish is making a comeback. Well, let me rephrase that-Jon Cornish is coming back to Lacombe.
Cornish will be the special guest of honour at the 7th Annual Lacombe Athletic Park Association gala banquet March 5th.
Cornish retired from play this past season after suffering a severe concussion but this appearance at the LAPA event is not his first. A connection with the Stampeders some years ago saw quarterback Henry Burris make the trip up to Lacombe and he brought along some team mates, including rookie running back Cornish.
“Over the years Jon has come back with different players, “said Darrin Thompson, LAPA Marketing Director. “ We’ve had Bo Levi Mitchell (current Stamps QB). It was his first visit to Lacombe.”
Thompson says the plan is to honour Cornish for his work with the Stampeders over the years but also to recognize him as a solid supporter of the LAPA over the years.
“It’s a fun night and it’s a great fundraiser for an important cause for us but it’s the fun aspect,” he said.
Joining Cornish will be former Montreal Canadien Gilbert Dionne along with a pair of Canadian Olympic athletes, skeletor Cassie Hawrysh and bobsledder Alex Kopacz. They’ll be bring along some items for the silent auction.
The evening has raised money over the years to develop ME Global Park and this year the cause is another facet of the park which has been deemed important.
“We are going to be starting an outdoor basketball court with construction and completion sometime in 2106 or 2017.”
The project was chosen after it was identified in a survey of the community and the user groups of the park, said Thompson.
“There isn’t another place in Lacombe that has a very good outdoor basketball facility. This one will be fenced and we’ll have a couple of outdoor courts. We’re looking at hosting a couple of minor tournaments and get guys out there for some street ball and hopefully find the next Steve Nash here in Lacombe.”
Thompson says the blueprints have been finalized and the job to build will go out to tender once the fundraising has been completed.
Once completed the courts will add another facet to what many consider a hidden jewel in the world of recreation within Central Alberta, with user groups in the immediate area being the main focus.
“But we want to build a relationship outside of Lacombe as well and almost make this be the hub of amateur sport in Central Alberta.”
Tickets for the evening are $100 for a single ticket or $750 for a table of eight. You can order tickets at [email protected].
