Earlier this year, the Hemmingford Sports Committee (HSC) was created to provide access to dek hockey, soccer, and softball to the residents of Hemmingford. With the end of the summer sports season, the committee recently held an awards ceremony to commemorate the athletes. This had previously been done for the dek hockey players, but with the addition of soccer and softball this year, many more participants were up for awards.
There are four major awards given out at this ceremony; these can be awarded to anyone, regardless of sport or age group. The first award was the Wallace Trophy for Most Improved Player. According to the committee’s Facebook page, this award was “named after Christina (Tinnie) Wallace and her constant work to push young people to the next level; the award is given to the player who has improved the most during the year.” This year’s winner was Simon Hebert. It was presented by Kathrine Brownridge, the wife of Dennis Wallace who was the son of Christina Wallace.
Next was the Viau Trophy Leadership Award, which was “named after Mr. Paul Viau and his leadership as Mayor and Prefect for our community; this award is given to the player who has shown the best leadership during the season.” This year’s award was presented by Mélanie Viau, the daughter of Paul Viau, to Eloi Dumouchel.
The third award was the McNaughton Award for the Most Valuable Player, “named in honour of the McNaughton family for their continuous devotion and involvement in our community.” The award went to Nelya Thorne, who was absent.
The final major award was the Giroux Trophy for Most Dedicated Player. It was “named in honour of Mr. Côme Giroux [for] his dedication to the recreation center.” It was awarded to Clara Bienz by Pascale Giroux for Côme Giroux, who was unable to attend.
HSC member Devon Watt says, “We believe that equitable and equal access to organized sports in a rural area is crucial to keep the kids and adults involved in the community and create a sense of belonging to your municipality.”
