The organizing committee for the Greater St. Stephen Sports Wall of Fame is seeking more applications from members of the community who have contributed to their favourite sport.
Pictures of sports enthusiasts, athletes, coaches, and volunteers are on the wall in the Garcelon Civic Centre.
“I think it was pretty quick and pretty easy to say, you know what, we’ve got a beautiful facility here, let’s celebrate it,” said board member Jamie Waycott. “There was some space there that was underutilized and prominent.”
The wall was started by Joe Peters, who passed away in October.
“Joey was our founder,” said Don Walker, also a member of the board. “If we have to name one person who was in charge of creating this, this concept, and this wall of fame, it would be Joe.”
The two men are hoping to continue the tradition of adding individual community members to the wall through the application process.
“It’s about being proud of who we are and proud of where we’re from and celebrating some of our athletes and builders, people who have contributed to our community,” said Waycott.
While Waycott said the application process has been modernized a bit, it is cumbersome and requires time. There are many things the group considers before honouring any nominees.
Joe Peters, left, pictured with an honoree, and Jamie Waycott. (Greater St. Stephen Sports Wall of Fame/Facebook)
“We look at the level and the significance of their achievements, their contributions in sport and the greater St. Stephen community,” Waycott said.
Applications are due on January 10, they said, so nominations for this year are likely not realistic, but explain people could get started for next year.
“It still is work because you need supporting documents, but we’ve streamlined it, and its a fairly user-friendly document now, and we can help fill in some blanks where where where appropriate,” Waycott said. “So, that’s the process.”
In the end, though, this will be about honouring their friend and St. Stephen sportsman Joe Peters, they explained. At a ceremony on May 24 – also Peters’s birthday – his family will receive a plaque on the wall of fame in his memory.
“He will not go on as a builder or as an athlete or as a team,” Walker said. “Of course, he’s going to go on the wall as our founder.”
Peters was told of this honour before he passed, the two said.
“I’m going to say it was a very emotional moment for everyone involved to tell him that he was so pleased,” Walker explained. “He was even part of the process of how it was going to look. He wanted to have a say in how he would be presented on the wall.”
The group has also established a scholarship in Peters named for $2,000.
Applications are available on the Municipal District of St. Stephen’s website or on the Greater St. Stephen Sports Wall of Fame Facebook page.
- with files from Vicki Hogarth
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