Media Kit- Media Release: April 28, 2010

View of Jamieson Place wheat stalks in front of Green Wall[More info...]

Putting a Face on Calgary's Past

Alberta Champions Society unveils first "Field of Fame"

Calgary, AB - On May 20th Alberta Champions Society will be unveiling six monuments to pay posthumous tribute to some of the greatest Albertans who ever lived, five prominent men and one woman, who helped shape our city, our province and our nation. The unveiling is set for 1:30 p.m. and Honorable Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Culture and Community Spirit, will assist with the unveiling. He will be joined at the podium by Gordon Hoffman, President and Founder of Alberta Champions.

This first "Field of Fame," created by Alberta Champions Society, is located in the Winter Garden on the Plus 15 level of the Jamieson Building, 308-4 Ave. SW, which is named for Alice Jamieson, one of the honorees. The other honorees include:

R.B. Bennett, Senator Patrick Burns, Chief David Crowchild, Eric Harvie, and Colonel James Macleod.

The Field of Fame is a group of monuments created from structural steel, designed by local architect Michael Shugarman of Templar Architecture and Design. Each Field of Fame features six steel "stalks of wheat", thirteen feet high, symbolic of the prairies and the farm and ranching culture that formed the early backbone of the Calgary area. Each stalk features a photo, biography and signature of one of the six individuals.

In all, there will be 50 Fields of Fame rolled out over the next 10 years, located throughout Calgary and southern Alberta. The groups to be honoured in each Field of Fame will be selected by a nominating committee of community leaders working closely with local historians.

"We believe no one can build a better future without first understanding and honouring the past," said Mr. Hoffman. "We also believe it is critical to engage our youth in learning about these important Albertans."

At the event, the winners of the recent city-wide contest for junior high students will also be announced. Students were challenged to write an essay or create a multimedia presentation related to one of the individuals in the first Field of Fame. The grand prize winner of the contest will be flown to our nation's capital with a guardian for a tour of the parliament building and a variety of activities, including a visit with the Kratt Brothers of PBS's Emmy Award-winning Zoboomafoo. Other prizes include a Net book computer, iPod and digital camera.

The contest is sponsored by Alberta Champions Society, TELUS, Prime Funds, The Calgary Herald, Unicom Graphics and WestJet.

Sponsors for the Field of Fame include: Alberta Lotteries, ARC Energy Trust, Hoffman Dorchik Barristers and Solicitors, as well as members of the families of the individuals being recognized.

ABOUT US
Alberta Champions Society in Recognition of Community Enrichment was founded in 2003 by Mr. Gordon Hoffman, QC to posthumously commemorate, recognize and honour those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the city of Calgary and area. This is achieved by placing pieces of public art designed from structural steel in Fields of Fame to provide recognition as well as inspiring today's citizens to make their own worthy contributions to our community.

For more information about the Society and to view a model Field of Fame, please visit our website at www.AlbertaChampions.org

MEDIA CONTACTS

1. Pat Christie
Executive Administrator
Tel: 403-771-5093
Email: Pat.Christie@telus.net
Website: www.AlbertaChampions.org


2. Susan Costello
Coordinator Community Partnerships
Tel: 403-251-4917
Email: Susan.Costello@shaw.ca