By Ryan Laverty
It was a virtual who’s who of the Calgary community that showed up to support the University of Calgary football team Mon., March 18 for the team’s 19th Annual Fifth Quarter Dinner. And support they did.
Everyone from former Flames Jim Peplinski and Joel Otto, to Cowboy Cody Snider and Stamps Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono, converged on the Hyatt Regency Hotel to help raise funds for Calgary’s number one amateur athletics program.
"This was our best year ever," said committee member Crystal Perzylo of the 952 seats sold.
Money is always a concern for Canadian university teams especially for teams like football who travel great distances throughout their season. This year an amazing $144,000 was raised to curb the costs of maintaining the Dinos long-standing program. It was a sum whose enormity was not lost on former Dinos players like Tony Spoletini.
"Unlike U.S. programs, it actually costs a school more than it benefits them to send a football team to the national championship," said Spoletini, who paused from his hysterics for a moment of seriousness. "The Vanier [Cup] isn’t like the Rose Bowl or the Cotton Bowl where the school actually makes enough money to support not only itself but its entire conference.
"The support you show here helps us keep this program going."
Fox Sports’ Van Earl Wright headlined the event and brought his unique perspective to Canadian athletics.
"Nights like tonight are an example of what sports can be.
"People coming together to support athletes who compete solely for the love of their game," said the 17-year veteran of sportscasting. "This is one of the greatest turnouts for an event like this I have ever been a part of."
As anyone who’s ever seen him on Fox-or formerly on CNN-and much to the delight of the crowd in attendance, Wright’s enthusiasm for sport shone through during his time at the podium when he described the Dinos’ opening drive of the season-a record 98-yard touchdown from quarterback Lincoln Blummel to receiver Jamie Elliott. A night diminated by humour, Wright took time to remind the 3–5 Dinos that losing isn’t all bad.
"My father played football for the Gamecocks in the ’40s and I went to USC. So I know what its like to lose," he joked of the perennial cellar dwellers of the NCAA’s South Eastern Conference. "But, my father always told me that losing builds character. Well, my family has way too much character."
In addition to the $150 per plate dinner, the night featured a silent auction, a $20 per ticket raffle, two $50 per ticket raffles and the $500 Adopt-a-Dino event. Dino Lucas Ferguson summed the evening up.
"Everyone had a great time, Tony Spoletini was hilarious as usual and we had just about the whole team adopted," said the veteran defensive lineman who managed to get Wright to sponsor him. "It was just a great night for our program."
The Dinos plan to put their new-found money to good use during the upcoming season. Players have been pounding the pavement and hitting the heavies since November and vow to be ready when they kick off their season Aug. 31 in Edmonton against the University of Alberta.