The inaugural Chad Staley Memorial Foundation fundraising gala is shaping up to be a historic night for sports in the Prince George area.
Organizers announced they crossed a major milestone, investing over 100-thousand dollars back into the Northern B.C. athletic community.
Board chair, Jaymes Pattie told MyPGNow.com the event is a true reflection of Staley’s legacy, who quickly embraced Prince George after moving from the United States during his time with the Spruce Kings.
“He was always one of the first people to make sure that he was involving himself in the community and coming to Prince George from the US. It was surprising and fantastic to see just how quickly he warmed up to the local community and made himself involved in as many ways possible.”
“At the end of the day, if you can make somewhere home as quickly as possible, and involve yourself in that community, we think that’s fantastic.”
Saturday’s gala will feature dinner, live music, and guest speakers at the Conference and Civic Centre—including local athletes Joel Ewert and Evan Bichon.
Staley, who was standout player for the Prince George Spruce Kings passed away in March of 2020 at the age of 25.
The Kennewick, Washington product spent three seasons in the BCHL from 2012-2015 before playing four seasons in the NCAA with Alaska-Fairbanks.
Proceeds from the gala will directly benefit grassroots athletic programs across the North.
Pattie noted the local response to the event has been overwhelming.
“It’s been really cool to see the community kind of come behind us and support the foundation. There’s quite a few attendees, so we’re excited about that. It should be a great evening.”
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing pgnews@vistaradio.ca.
