A sold-out crowd is expected for tonight鈥檚 Westshore Rebels scholarship fundraising gala at Olympic View Golf Course, which also features the retirement of Tim O鈥橬eill鈥檚 jersey number after he played with the sa国际传媒 Football Conference team back in junior.
Guest speakers will include sa国际传媒 Lions linebacker Adam Bighill; retired Grey Cup champion and now the executive director of the CFL Players鈥� Association, Brian Ramsay, of Victoria; TSN reporter and New Westminster Hyacks鈥� coach Farhan Lalji; CFL Hall of Fame kicker Dave Cutler; and O鈥橬eill, the guest of honour.
O鈥橬eill is also a member of the Lions after a trade from Hamilton this off-season.
All proceeds and funds raised from the event will go to the athletes in the form of educational scholarships and player development, said Rebels head coach J.C. Boice, who has built up the program in the last season.
鈥淭hey will be presenting on the positive impact of football on their lives and why football should continue to grow and create opportunities for young athletes in Victoria,鈥� Boice said of the speakers.
鈥淚 am both humbled the way this community has got behind this team and very excited with where our team is going for 2016. Having these scholarship funds has allowed us to really accelerate our Victoria-area players and also bring in additional impacting players from out of area.
鈥淥ur ability to develop and recruit has risen fast. We are going to be highly competitive in 2016,鈥� Boice added.
The team recently opened its own training facility in the West Shore and was scheduled to add a stretch of field turf for the indoor centre, which will be installed this weekend.
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
