The 2019 Canada Winter Games will be the recipient of funds raised during next year’s Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off.
The announcement was made tonight at the Sheraton Red Deer Hotel.
“The 2019 Games represents our hope and faith in a future full of potential,” said Christine Moore, co-chair of the 2018 event. “It will leave a lasting legacy of volunteers and leadership development that will benefit athletes and the broader community for years to come.”
The proceeds of the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off 2018 will support the Canada Games Celebration Plaza, an inclusive and accessible gathering place for all in downtown Red Deer next to Central Middle School.
“On behalf of the Board of Governors and staff of the 2019 Canada Winter Games Host Society, we sincerely thank the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off Cabinet and the dancers for their support,” said Lyn Radford, 2019 Canada Winter Games board chair. “The Canada Games Celebration Plaza will share the magic of the Games with Central Alberta in 2019 and remain as an accessible, celebration space in heart of downtown Red Deer for generations to share in the magic of community.”
She added the Games will put the funds raised towards the Celebration Plaza because it is a project that can be enjoyed by all.
“Since it’s the community who will be raising these funds, the community will all have the opportunity to use it (the Celebration Plaza),” said Radford.
The Celebration Plaza will host a cultural festival during the 2019 Canada Winter Games. “It will be reconfigured so that a cultural festival of any kind in the future can use the site,” said Radford. “We’ll have underground power, we’ll have lighting that will be there. We don’t really have a downtown plaza that will be able to do that.”
The Cabinet also announced the Class of 2018 on Sunday evening. This year the Cabinet welcomed Cari MacLean, honorary co-chair of the 2019 Canada Winter Games; Duane Daines, champion rodeo athlete and advocate for the parasports and accessibly; Mellisa Hollingsworth, bronze Olympian skeleton medalist; Carla MacLeod, two-time Olympian winning a pair of gold medals with the national women’s hockey team; John Young, vice president at RBC in Red Deer, Troy Gillard, reporter with rdnewsNOW; Cindy Mandrusiak, local entrepreneur; and Todd Simenson, VP at Stantec in Red Deer.
Over the past six years, the Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off has raised over $2.1 million.
The Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off 2018 will take place on April 14th, at the Sheraton Red Deer Hotel. Tickets will go on sale on Jan. 29th.
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