Celebrating significant contributions

The 18th annual Celebration of Significant People dinner will centre on track and field and education, honouring 10 individuals who’ve had long careers in one or the other, and often both.

The dinner, which highlights people from Hamilton and area who’ve made significant contributions to the community, will be held May 17 at Michelangelo Banquet Centre.

Proceeds help support the John Wismer Scholarship Fund and the Brain Tumour Foundation.

This year’s event will give special recognition to the dominant 1960s track and field team from Southmount Secondary School and to Clare Crozier, who coached track for the Hamilton Spartan Track Club and is a recipient of the Lieutenant-Governor’s Heritage Award for lifetime achievement.

Also being honoured are: Dr. Russ Weil, educator and musician, and director of Hamilton All-Star Jazz Bands; Al Duncan, the former cross-country star who has taught and coached running for 32 years; Bill Urie, an Ontario college champion distance runner at Mohawk, who coached at Mac, has been a Hamilton Olympic Club director and organizes many major track and field meets in this area; Dan Clark, president of the 91st Highlanders Athletic Association, which runs the Hamilton Indoor Games; teacher/coach Jim Simpson, a national champion in the mile relay and former CANUSA Games chair; Jim Weatherbee who has coached high school basketball for 34 years, and has been

at Saltfleet the last 15 years; Ken Hall, president of Spartan Track and Field club and coach of 15 city school championship teams; Russ Evans, who has coached at four different Hamilton high schools and was captain of the McMaster cross-country team; and Leslie Taylor, a member of the Aquatics Hall of Fame (2015) who has spent more than 50 years as an instructor, official, judge, head coach and organizer in synchronized swimming. Tickets are $40 each. To reserve a seat, send a cheque to Richard Bosher at 45 Anderson Court, Ancaster, L9G 4Z7, or email richard bosher22@gmail.com.