The University of Victoria Vikes women’s basketball coach Carrie Watson and her current Vikes team are set to play an exhibition benefit basketball game in September.
The game is against Vancouver Island University women’s team coached by Tony Bryce at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 at the G.P. Vanier gym in Courtenay for the local Megan Dalziel Memorial Bursary.
A girls’ basketball clinic from 3:30-6 p.m. is also scheduled on the day as well for girls aged 10 to 18 years old.
The admission for the clinic and the game is by donation with all funds collected going directly to the Megan Dalziel Memorial Bursary presented annually to a female Vanier high school student.
Dalziel was a three-sport athlete at Vanier who demonstrated athletic leadership, character, humbleness and service and went on to a five-year women’s basketball career at UVIC. She was selected as a Canada West All-Star and helped lead the Vikes to two National University Championships.
She passed on from cancer after completing her teaching degree and teaching/coaching for a few years in Vancouver.
“This is an incredible gesture of support from VIU and the UVic women’s basketball teams to do this to help keep Megan’s bursary a perpetual one,” commented Hugh MacKinnon, a member of the Megan Dalziel Bursary committee and former Vanier Secondary basketball coach of Dalziel.
“It is not often the Comox Valley gets to see girls/women’s basketball of university caliber live,” added MacKinnon. “ Special thanks go to the players and coaches of the VIU. And UVIC women’s basketball programs for generously donating their time and efforts.
“Megan left a legacy that if you aim high regardless of the size of the community you come from, you can succeed and the committee is hoping Megan’s story will inspire girls in the Comox Valley.”
To register for the clinic, players need to e-mail Larry Street at: larrystreetcar@gmail.com with a donation or payment made at the gymnasium door on the day of the clinic.
For more information, contact Dave Mayert at Vanier (250-338-9262) or for the girls’ clinic hosted by the UVIC Women contact Larry Street at the email address listed above.
