Jets And Moose Announce WASAC Night and Follow Your Dreams Day Details
By: Manitoba Moose Staff | Published: February 16th 2024
The Manitoba Moose and Winnipeg Jets will celebrate the sixth annual Follow Your Dreams (FYD) Day and WASAC (Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre) games presented by Scotiabank on Feb. 24 and 25 at Canada Life Centre. The weekend celebrates Indigenous culture, highlighted by sharing spaces with youth from northern and remote Indigenous communities.
True North Sports + Entertainment will unveil the 2024 Jets WASAC and Moose FYD jerseys on Wednesday, Feb. 21, alongside a cheque presentation of funds raised in support of WASAC throughout 2022-23.
**MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Media are invited to the cheque presentation and unveiling of the new jerseys, as well as to get a sneak peek of cultural performances and speak to True North and WASAC representatives.
What: Winnipeg Jets WASAC and Manitoba Moose Follow Your Dreams jersey unveiling, cheque presentation, and cultural performances
Who: Trevor LaForte, Executive Director, WASAC; and Norva Riddell, Sr. Vice President, Sales & Chief Revenue Officer, True North Sports + Entertainment
When: Wednesday, Feb. 21 at noon
Where: Canada Life Centre, 300 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, Man.
Please RSVP to Krista Sinaisky at [email protected] for details and further entry/location instructions.
A hallmark of the WASAC/FYD weekend continues to be welcoming youth from northern and remote Indigenous communities, including Pauingassi First Nation, Northlands Denesuline First Nation (Lac Brochet), Bunibonibee Cree Nation (Oxford House), Shamattawa First Nation, Minegoziibe Anishinabe First Nation (Pine Creek), and the Métis Community of Duck Bay. Youth will attend the Jets and Moose games, courtesy of presenting sponsor Scotiabank. The experience will mark many firsts for those participating, including, for many, the first trip to a major city. Their full weekend of activities and programming includes attending Camp Manitou the morning of Saturday, Feb. 24 to participate in an Indigenous cooking and nutrition workshop with Christa Bruneau-Guenther of Feast Café Bistro, learn about mental wellness through mindful movement with Project 11, and skate on the camp’s outdoor rink with NHL alumnus Carey Wilson, Jamie Leach, and Jets Hockey Development coaches.
**Media will be invited to attend the event with further details to be shared next week.
The Moose Follow Your Dreams Day game takes place Saturday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. vs. the Calgary Wranglers, starting with a ceremonial puck drop honouring Indigenous youth and the singing of the national anthem by the Sergeant Tommy Prince School choir. Fans will have the chance to learn about various Indigenous art forms from local artists, including Fredrick Lyle Spence, Blanche Chief, Tashina Schlup, WaaBooz (Jennifer Wood), and Claire Johnson, who will showcase Métis beading with kits available for youth to take home.
As the AHL’s Free Game of the Week, the Moose Follow Your Dreams Game will be accessible nationally, including within the remote communities of visiting youth. Fans can sign up for a free AHLTV account at AHLTV.com to watch the game.
The puck drops on the Winnipeg Jets WASAC Night Sunday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. vs. the Arizona Coyotes. A ceremonial puck drop will honour Indigenous youth and elders, including Manitoba’s first Indigenous judge and former member of the Canadian Senate, Murray Sinclair.
Rhonda Head, a Mezzo-Soprano vocalist from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, will sing both anthems, performing O Canada in Cree. During the first intermission, Métis singer Krista Rey will sing the Métis National Anthem. Aboriginal Music Hall of Fame member Errol “C-Weed” Ranville, round dance singer Darryl Buck, and Inuit throat singers Nikki Komaksiutiksak and her daughters will be among the cultural performers while DJ Uncle Craig will spin Indigenous inspired music on the concourse.
Jets WASAC jerseys and Moose Follow Your Dreams jerseys will be auctioned off online – auctions.nhl.com/WinnipegJets and auctions.nhl.com/ManitobaMoose – and at their respective games in support of WASAC and their province-wide youth engagement.
WASAC and Follow Your Dreams apparel, including limited edition Winnipeg Jets x FFO jackets, are available at Jets Gear and TrueNorthShop.com with a portion of WASAC merchandise proceeds being reinvested in WASAC programming.
For more information on the WASAC and Follow Your Dreams, visit WinnipegJets.com/COMMUNITY/WASAC and MooseHockey.com/COMMUNITY/FollowYourDreams.
