LGBTQ2S+ Youth Receive Red Carpet Treatment for Flames Pride Night
On Tuesday, January 9, five mentees from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area (BBBS Calgary) who identify as LGBTQ2S+ received a red-carpet welcome as part of the Calgary Flames Pride Night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Hosted by the Calgary Flames and presented by Banded Peak Brewery, Pride Night is an annual hockey game dedicated to celebrating the 2SLGBTQ+ community and ensuring that hockey is for everyone.
The Five youth mentees were invited down to the ice before the puck drop to receive a warm recognition from the fans in attendance. They stood alongside George Canyon as he sang the national anthem and then viewed the game against the Ottawa Senators as VIPs from Huby’s Hangout, a suite at the Saddledome that hosts youth facing adversity. “This was an unforgettable evening for our mentees and their mentors! We are so excited to be invited by the Calgary Flames to participate in this event,” said Kate McKenzie, Director of Engagement & Enterprise at BBBS Calgary. Mentor, Margaret McPherson shared, “I was so grateful to be a part of an evening of fun while sending a message of acceptance and being one’s authentic self.”
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For BBBBS Board Member, Mike Bell, who helped host the BBBS team along with his partner Hamish MacPherson, Pride Night is personal as he has been one of the champions for it from the beginning. “It’s great to see more and more Flames fans embracing this event. Only a decade ago there were those who said that a Pride night would never happen in our city, now we see professional sport becoming more inclusive and looking for opportunities to involve LGBTQ2S+ and ensure that hockey is a sport for all. When young people like our mentees attend Pride Night, they can see themselves reflected in the sport and know that there is a place for them.”
President and CEO of BBBS Calgary, Ken Lima-Coelho, reflected, “It’s important that the Calgary community shows up and celebrates an event such as Pride Night. Our actions need to show that everyone is safe, and welcome. Our team at BBBS Calgary is committed to delivering programs that are safe and supportive for non-binary, transgender, and gender-diverse youth through community mentoring that matches young people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ with a caring adult mentor who also identifies as 2SLGBTQ+ .”
“Mentors can ignite the power and potential of their mentee. It’s moments like the Calgary Flames Pride Night that can do just that by showing youth that they are welcome and that they belong,” explains McKenzie.
