LANGLEY, B.C. – For the second year in a row, the Spartan Foundation's 17th Annual Complete Champions Reception, presented by Cl Assante Wealth Management, raised more than $1 million for Trinity Western University Spartan student-athletes, with this year's total reaching $1.07 million.
The event, which was on Nov. 21, featured guest speakers Bev and Kendell Kauffeldt, who are both TWU Spartan alums, as well as former NHLer Ryan Walter. Trinity Western women's hockey star
Jordyn Matthews also shared about her journey to becoming a Spartan and her faith story.
"I love how this event is able to highlight the stories of athletes past and present," said
Jeff Gamache, TWU Director of Athletics. "It is so inspiring to see the difference that our Complete Champion Approach™ services are making in the lives of our alumni, who are leading around the world, and our current athletes, who are growing as Complete Champions. Being in a room full of Spartan supporters, sharing these stories and understanding the incredible difference the financial support our Spartan community is making is, in a word, humbling."
This annual event is hosted by the Spartan Foundation, whose purpose is entirely focused on raising funds for the TWU Spartans Athletics program and the Complete Champion Approach™ with the intention to impact student-athlete lives.
Over the 17 years since the annual event began, the Complete Champions Reception has raised more than $7.7 million for student-athletes.
"We are thrilled and deeply grateful for how the Spartan community came together to share life-changing stories, support one another and achieve an incredible milestone – raising over $1 million," said Steve Scholz, Executive Director of the Spartan Foundation. "This is simply amazing for a small charity. We are so blessed to have all of you – the 'Team Behind the Teams' – who attended, watched the livestream, and donated to support student-athletes. A heartfelt thank you also goes out to everyone who worked tirelessly to make this event a reality."
If you missed the live event, you can view the recording here.
Thanks to all our COMPLETE CHAMPIONS RECEPTION SPONSORS:
Presenting Sponsor - CI Assante Wealth Management
Celebrity Sponsor - Fassbender Consulting Ltd.
Diamond Sponsors - GLC Solutions, Applewood Auto Group, Benchmark Homes, Covenant Family, Wealth Management, Acera Insurance, and Westwoods Contracting.
Gold Sponsors: Avisar CPA, Five & Two Network, Lawson Lundell LLP, Loewen Kruse CPA, Park Ridge Homes, Trading Post Brewing
Thanks to our Year-Long Partners: Chase Office Interiors, Coca Cola, Flowers & Co., GLC Solutions, Acera Insurance, Langley Events Centre, OneTeam, Sandman Hotel Group, Ten Feet Sports & Entertainment, Trading Post Brewing, University Printers and Valley Commons.
Complete Champions Reception | Through the Years
Year | Guest Speaker – Amount Raised
2009 | Rick Hansen – $24,000
2010 | Ryan Walter – $45,000
2011 | Peter Legge – $62,000
2012 | Martin Rennie – $107,000
2013 | Jim Zorn – $121,000
2014 | Anthony Calvillo – $145,000
2015 | Willie Desjardins – $235,000
2016 | Olympian Panel – $340,000
2017 | Neal McDonough – $425,000
2018 | Dr. Murray Howe – $507,000
2019 | John Scott – $542,000
2020 | Shane Doan & Leighann (Doan) Reimer – $562,000
2021 | Eroni Clarke – $862,000
2022 | Sue Semrau – $857,000
2023 | Rick Hansen & Alison Jackson – $853,000
2024 | Lucas and Holly VanBerkel - $1,004,000
2025 | Ryan Walter & Bev and Ken Kauffeldt - $1,070,000
About the Complete Champion Approach™ (CCA)
Spartans Athletics is intentionally committed to developing the five key components of the CCA, including academic, athletic, leadership, personal and spiritual development. The CCA works towards helping student-athletes use their God-given talents and intellect to live a life of significance, experience true personal success and powerfully influence their families, teams, communities and cultures.
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 11 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as in the NAIA in track and field and cross country and as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 33 Canada West team championships.
About Spartan Foundation
The Spartan Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organization created by a group of individuals with a strong connection to Trinity Western University and Spartan Athletics. Their mission is to "invest in student-athletes today, which will help develop Complete Champions and leaders for tomorrow; all with the purpose to further God's Kingdom." The foundation's goals include providing annual funding for the Spartan Athletics program, supporting scholarships, enhancing the Complete Champion ApproachTM, assisting financially stressed athletes, and promoting cross-cultural mission trips and community service initiatives.
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
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