The Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner is going on the defensive for 2024.
The 31st edition of the wildly popular fundraising event with feature a pair of former superstar NHL defenceman and one of the greatest relief pitchers in Major League Baseball history when things take place on Saturday, Apr. 6 at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds.
Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Pronger will be joined by three-time Stanley Cup champion Duncan Keith and former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne as guest speakers, a line-up that Sports Celebrity Dinner chairman Travis Olson hopes will once again lead to a sell-out and lots of support for the local service club.
“We have two hockey players who were Stanley Cup champions and Norris Trophy-winning defencemen who also played for Team Canada, so we’re pretty excited to have them lined up,” Olson said. “And when it comes to Canadians in baseball, not too many more have had a better career than Eric Gagne and the things he did with the L.A.. Dodgers. So we’re looking forward to seeing them here and hopefully that means even more people come out.”
The Kinsmen have gone forward with a plan that has been in the works for a few years and officially moved venues for 2024, with the larger space at the Moose Jaw Exhibition Grounds ideally leading to one of the top fundraising totals in the event’s history.
The Dinner annually sees close to 500 people packed into the Heritage Inn, but that number will be more than 100 higher this time around should things sell out.
“We have some more space there and some more flexibility with different pieces, so we thought it was time to make a change and we’re excited for that,” Olson said. “Other than that, things have been progressing. The new venue is a bit of an unknown, but we have a good team and a great line-up and we’re excited for it.”
The silent and live auctions will also have a host of unique and interesting items that further bolster the event’s fundraising totals.
The Dinner traditionally brings in more than $100,000 for Kinsmen projects in Canada’s Most Notorious City and has raised more than $2,000,000 since its inception in the mid-90s.
All that support is greatly appreciated not only by the Kinsmen, but the community in general as the vast array of clubs and projects continue to see funding from the organization.
“It’s incredible,” Olson said. “We’re happy to support the community and we’re not able to do it unless we have the great people of Moose Jaw come out and support our events and initiatives. It’s because of them we’re able to take our funds raised and put them back into the community for things like the parks and Minor Football and stuff like that.”
To that end, Olson estimates that around 300 tickets have already been sold just through word of mouth, with the pace likely picking up quickly once word of their line-up gets out.
Tickets are $400 for two or $1,500 for a table of eight and are available from any Kinsmen member or by e-mailing [email protected].
