Introducing the Grey Cup Fan Base

August 24^th, 2020

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has unveiled an innovative idea that gives its fans a unique opportunity to have their names forever etched in Grey Cup glory: the Grey Cup Fan Base.

“The Grey Cup Fan Base is our way of recognizing that our fans are, in so many ways, the foundation upon which this great league and the legend of the Grey Cup stand,” said Randy Ambrosie, Commissioner of the CFL.

Fans can have their names inscribed forever on a permanent new base – a beautiful, 48-inch high tribute to CFL fans crafted from Canadian maple and aluminum – upon which the iconic Grey Cup trophy will be placed at all its public appearances.

“When COVID-19 forced us to cancel the 2020 season, we said we are absolutely committed to making 2021 the greatest comeback in the history of the CFL,” Ambrosie said.

“Fans asked us, as they have throughout the pandemic: ‘How can we help?’ The Grey Cup Fan Base is a wonderful way to help our league, and your team, come back stronger than ever. It’s an incredible opportunity to show your pride in our storied history and your faith in our bright future.“

CFL season ticket members get the first chance to enshrine their names, or those of a beloved fellow fan they choose to honour, in Grey Cup history starting today for a fee of $349. Their exclusive window continues until August 30th at 11:59 pm ET. After that date, other fans can take advantage of the same opportunity for $399.

The Grey Cup Fan Base is a project supported by the CFL and the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA), with proceeds going to the CFL’s nine teams and CFL players.

“The Grey Cup Fan Base is a great innovative idea that is supported by the players as a way to connect our passionate fans even closer to our game,” said Solomon Elimimian, President of the CFLPA.

“It not only recognizes and celebrates our fans, but it connects our players, our fans, and the teams across the league in a meaningful way. This fan support initiative will help us through 2020 and into 2021 as we look to come back stronger than ever before.”

To learn more, and to see a digital rendition of the newly created CFL Fan Base, fans can visit www.greycupfanbase.ca.

This immersive website gives fans the opportunity to get a close-up look at the Grey Cup Fan Base. Those who decide to show their pride and support by becoming part of it will also be able to see their name or their honouree’s name as it will appear, etched in aluminum.

The Grey Cup Fan Base package includes:

• Your name etched on the Grey Cup Fan Base.
• A digital collectors’ item certificate of authenticity, displayed at www.greycupfanbase.ca, which features your name, or that of your honouree, and the signatures of the CFL Commissioner and a representative of your favourite team.
• An exciting augmented reality displaying the Grey Cup Fan Base digitally in your home to share with friends and family via social.
• An immersive digital experience that allows you to get up close with the Fan Base, showcasing your name etched on the Fan Base.
• Recognition in your team’s home stadium.

Proudly made in Canada, the Grey Cup Fan Base is a dynamic, multi-level podium created to forever represent the fans who proudly support our players, our teams and Canadian football as a beloved, homegrown national passion.

It consists of ten pillars on each side, in recognition of the fact the CFL has nine teams and embraces Atlantic Canada as part of the CFL family. But it stresses unity by eschewing team colours, diversity by featuring pillars of various heights, and faith in a bright future as each pillar is illuminated.

“The design is intended to evoke the idea that our fans are lifting up the Grey Cup, which belongs to all, and the CFL and Canada along with it,” Ambrosie said.

“In this unprecedented and challenging year, we wanted to find a way to show how much we appreciate our fans’ faith and dedication. And we wanted to do that in a way that allows fans to show that they deeply believe in what the CFL and Grey Cup mean to Canada, that nothing is going to stop us from being together again, and that we will continue to add to the legend and legacy of the Grey Cup. The Grey Cup fan base represents hope and confidence. It’s a wonderful idea and a beautiful work of art.”

Member of Whitecaps FC family in urgent need of living kidney donor

August 13^th, 2020

He has made a career out of helping 'Caps fans but when it was his turn to ask for help, he kept to himself for a long time.

Allen Leung, who serves as Manager, Ticket Operations for Whitecaps FC, is in need of a kidney transplant and is in search for a living donor.

Many Vancouver fans would recognize him from the Ticketmaster Box Office at BC Place and Rogers Arena, where he's quick to help 'Caps, Lions, and Canucks fans alike on game days, and always with a smile on his face.

After discovering he was suffering from kidney failure over three years ago, he tried to combat it alone with his family. It was only recently Leung decided to share the fight he has been battling everyday.

"After doing my best to make changes in my life and diet to help delay the need for this procedure, my kidney’s ability to work for my body had reached a point where it could no longer help me on its own, and I began peritoneal kidney dialysis earlier this year. This procedure is done every day," wrote Leung in a Facebook post.

"The last few months have been difficult for everyone with various global events affecting our entire human race which has allowed me to realize that life is short. I’ve realized it’s okay to ask for help," wrote Leung. "Part of me had given up and I feel embarrassed. This is the struggle I’ve been suffering along with my disease but I now understand that I need help. Asking someone to consider being a donor for me is a weird ask and I don’t feel comfortable in asking and I still don’t know if I’m doing this the right way but here it goes. I need your help."

Leung's family at home - his wife Melodie also works for Ticketmaster, and his son Trevor was a poster boy for the Hoop jersey campaign - as well as his family at Whitecaps FC are hoping that spreading the word fast-tracks the search for a match.

"Although I am on the waitlist for a kidney donor, the wait for one is an estimate and it could take an infinite number of years to find a match. This is why I need your help," wrote Leung.

Thinking of becoming a living kidney donor?

All living donation is managed through the appropriate programs at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) Pre-Assessment Transplant Clinics.

The referral process includes pre-screening, laboratory and diagnostic testing, and evaluation by the transplant teams. If you have questions about becoming a living donor or about the process, please contact the programs directly.

Please notify the transplant team that you are donating to Allen Leung.

Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program - Kidney 
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604.875.5182 or 1.855.875.5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca

Visit http://www.transplant.bc.ca/health-info/organ-donation/living-donation for more information.

BC Sports Hall of Fame re-opening this week

August 6^th, 2020

The BC Sports Hall of Fame will be re-opening on a limited basis on Friday, August 7th.

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VISIT

• Non-medical masks or face coverings are mandatory for all visitors (excluding children ages 2 and under). If you don’t already have a mask, the Sports Hall will provide an unused, disposable mask to you when you arrive.
• Visits should be reserved in advance online at bcsportshall.com/tickets. Tickets are date and time specific to ensure safe physical distancing within the Sports Hall. If purchasing tickets online is impossible for you, please contact guestservices@bcsportshall.com.
• Visitors who are unwell, displaying signs of COVID-19, or were recently exposed to COVID-19 will not be permitted entry. The Sports Hall also asks that guests refrain from visiting if they have travelled outside of Canada within 14 days of arrival at the Sports Hall.
• Sports Hall staff will ask that all guests sanitize hands upon entry, respect posted gallery capacities and wayfinding arrows, and maintain physical distancing from those outside their group.
• Sports Hall staff will provide sanitized styluses for your use with any interactive touch screens. Please deposit any used styluses into the designated bins for cleaning.
• For contact tracing reasons, tickets are non-transferrable. If you are unable to use your ticket for your reserved date and time, please contact guestservices@bcsportshall.com to reschedule your visit or discuss other options.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE BC SPORTS HALL OF FAME TEAM

• Sports Hall staff will be wearing non-medical masks or face coverings when they interact with you.
• Plexiglass barriers in high-interaction areas at Guest Services.
• Cashless contact-free payments through online pre-booking and Apple Pay or tap-enabled debit or credit on-site.
• Daily disinfection of the facilities by qualified contractors and periodic cleaning of high touch surfaces throughout operating hours.

To learn more, go to www.bcsportshall.com/be-safe

About BC Sports Hall of Fame

The BC Sports Hall of Fame celebrates extraordinary achievement in BC sport history and inspires future generations to make their dreams come true. Each year, a diverse audience of over 35,000 visitors from around the globe are educated and enthralled by the collection of 27,000 artifacts representing 150-years of sporting accomplishments in British Columbia. We take pride in the responsibility we have to tell engaging stories of the individuals, teams and organizations who have made sport achievement such an important part of the fabric of life, culture and history in the province of BC.