BY ZACHARY CORMIER
Lacombe Express
The bright lights at MEGlobal Athletic Park will be the setting for a very special football game in Lacombe next month as the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League pay a visit to the City in an effort to create some relief.
Last week, the Lacombe Athletic Park Association announced they will be hosting a Friday Night Football 4 Fort Mac inter-squad football game with the Colts at MEGlobal Athletic Park on Aug. 5th, with 75% of the proceeds going to the Red Deer and District Community Foundation’s Rebuilding Fort Mac Fund.
“We were contacted earlier in the year by the Calgary Colts Junior Football Club. They wanted to do something up in Lacombe. We were trying to figure out what sort of event we could do with them,” said LAPA Marketing Director Darrin Thompson.
“Then all the stuff happened in Fort Mac and it was a great response from everyone else and we were just waiting for what we could do and we thought about it and go why don’t we have a Friday night football for Fort Mac and have the Colts come up here and do a little inter-squad game and do a fundraiser for Fort Mac.”
While not all of the details of the evening have been finalized, Thompson said there will be several special guests in attendance including Colts Defensive Coordinator, former Calgary Stampeder and WWE Alumni ‘Big Daddy’ Marvin Pope as well as the Central Alberta Buccaneers ‘Spice Rack’ receiving line of Major Newman, Axsivier Lawrence, Josh Blanchard, Jamal Henry and Jesse McPhail, all of who will be on site to sign autographs and do meet and greets with fans.
“We’re still trying to confirm a few local and bigger celebrities to have some fun with the fans,” said Thompson.
The charity game will be the Colts’ final brush-up before they hit the gridiron for their first regular season game in Edmonton on Aug. 13th.
“We were talking with coach Matt ‘Snoop’ Blokker. Their first regular season game is on the following Saturday in Edmonton against the Wildcats and he thought you know what this is a great opportunity to have a Central Alberta version of Hard Knocks. Sort of like the NFL, like a training camp. It’s going to be the last chance for some of these Colts rookies and some of the vets to impress Coach Blokker and his staff, and make the team and see if they can be playing in game one in Edmonton the following week,” Thompson said.
The night will also feature bouncy castles and activities for kids.
Advance tickets to the event are available online and cost $5 until July 30th and $10 after that date and at the gate with 75% of proceeds going towards the Rebuilding Fort Mac Fund.
“The biggest winner is going to be our friends up in the north. We were in contact with the Red Deer and District Community Foundation, they have a Rebuilding Fort Mac Fund. It’s something a little different than what has been going on recently with the Red Cross efforts. This one is specifically for social endeavours and most of the stuff is stuff that’s not going to be covered by insurance,” Thompson said, adding that part of the reason the LAPA chose to support this particular fund was because it fit the organization’s mandate.
“When we found out that we could help out and maybe build a new playground or help with the field or some sort of athletic facility, which is the LAPA’s mandate, we were all over that.”
For more information or to find out where to purchase tickets, visit www.facebook.com/LacombeAthleticParkAssociation/.
zcormier@lacombeexpress.com