In excess of 650
people attended the 30th Dinos Fifth Quarter fund raising dinner on
April 11 at the Hotel Arts. The sold out crowd was entertained throughout the
evening by emcee Tony Spoletini and keynote speaker Roy Firestone.
Firestone is the
host of Public Television’s LA Tonight with Roy Firestone. A show that features
long form interviews and has been host to some of the nation’s most
accomplished and iconic figures. Among Roy’s
guests in recent broadcasts were 16-time Grammy Award winner and composer David
Foster, legendary songwriter and hit maker Burt Bacharach and tennis legend
Andre Agassi.
Firestone
thrilled the audience with a multi-media presentation that included singing,
impersonations, and humour. It was a performance that brought a unique
dimension to the event and will standout in the memory of the guests for years
to come.
The evening also
included an array of outstanding silent and live auction items such as tickets
to the Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and a University
of Alabama home football
game. There was also Calgary Stampeders ticket packages, a Denver Broncos
ticket package that included luxury suite seats, as well as some oil industry
service items.
The evening also
recognized the contributions of a pair of individuals who have a given a great
deal to the Dinos Fifth Quarter.
Former President
Harry Andersen was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. A partner with Stikeman Elliott LLP, Harry
left private practice to become Vice President, Legal & General Counsel for
Pembina Pipeline Corporation. He served on the Board of the 5th
Quarter for several years and is currently Past President. Andersen served as
Dinner Chairman and it was through his efforts while serving as President the 5th
Quarter was able to achieve Charitable Foundation status with the Canada
Revenue Agency.
The second
individual honoured was Greg Vavra. He received the Connellan TEAM (Together
Everybody Achieves More) Award. Despite a hectic business life and family
commitments, Greg found time to give back to the program on a volunteer basis.
From 2006 through 2010, Vavra served as Offensive Coordinator for the Dinos.
Greg has continued to be influential in the off-field development of the
football program and for the past two years has been President of the 5th
Quarter.
The 5th Quarter would also like
to thank the Marc Wilson and his staff at the Hotel Arts for making the evening
the huge success. Also many thanks to the numerous corporate sponsors that help
make this event possible every year.
