Aurora Sports Hall of Fame “Sports History Alive” tours Aurora schools again this year February 1, 2019

Aurora, ON, February 1, 2019 – Mark Heese, 2015 Aurora Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member and Olympian has a new partner to help bring sport history back to a variety of Aurora schools in 2019. Melissa Bromley, former NCAA Division 1 hockey player and Game Presentation Co-Ordinator for the Toronto Maple Leafs has joined Mark to present “Sports History Alive Hockey, History and Teamwork” to four Aurora elementary schools.

The first of the tour of schools kicked off in mid January to a packed gymnasium at St. Josephs Catholic Elementary School.

At this first presentation, Heese and Bromley enlightened the students about Aurora’s rich sports history, and shared their and other Aurora Sport History Hockey stories. The presentation includes artifacts such as Honoured Member Mike Palmateer’s 3D printed Hockey Mask, a fun “Dance Cam Challenge”, an “Honoured Members Shoot Out” and concluded with an interactive discussion with the students.

“I am pleased to be back with the program, because I believe in it! Celebrating those who did so much for sport in Aurora has turned out to be so much fun. The young audience is interested in all the unique stories!” says Heese, who competed in the Olympics in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004) and is also an avid Hockey player. “I was a big fan of Mike Palmateer when I was a kid, so it feels good to bring some focus in our presentations, to such a legend, and celebrate his legacy!”

“We would like to thank Mark Heese and Melissa Bromley for their engaging and interactive presentation that included valuable lessons on the virtues of teamwork, perseverance, and how the rich sports history in our local community has had a profound impact on the games we know and love today” says William Grassby, teacher at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School in Aurora.“The presentation had many interesting anecdotes that captured the students’ imagination (they loved learning about the hockey players riding the train with all their equipment to their games!) and included fun activities like the Dance Cam and Shootout that got students moving and kept them focused. They also provided helpful pre/post presentation activities to help reinforce their messaging. Highly recommended!”

“Education programs (those that reach Aurora’s youth), are a strategic priority for the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame,” says David Thom, the Hall of Fame’s President. “We are proud to be one of the few municipal Halls of Fame to have a specific in-class initiative designed to teach school age children about their community’s sport heritage. We are also grateful to the Ontario Trillium foundation who gave us the seed money to start the Hall, and in past years, we have received funding support from the Town of Aurora, various sponsors and the Magna Hoedown, without which we would not be able to implement our programming to inspire future generations.”

More information, including photos of previous school visits, is available at https://aurorashof.ca/sports-history-alive/
For booking information, please contact Project Manager Karen Merk at ashofedu@gmail.com.


About the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame

The Aurora Sports Hall of Fame was established in November, 2013 by Sport Aurora and with the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Aurora Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) celebrates sport history and excellence and is dedicated to the recognition of the important place that sport has assumed within the fabric of Aurora. Every person who values the contribution of sport to our community and country is a part of that commemoration. More information is at https://aurorashof.ca.

For ASHOF media information, contact:

Javed S. Khan

Chair, Marketing & Communications

javed@empression.ca | 416-889-6069