The London Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction has announced the first head table guest for the event at the London Convention Centre in April.
Former NHLer turned broadcaster Jeremy Roenick will be in town for the event, which supports the Thames Valley Children’s Centre.
Chair Ryan Robinson tells 980 CFPL the organizers are glad to have someone with Roenick’s pedigree on board.
“Over 500 goals in the NHL, and now a broadcaster on NBC, he’s definitely got a gift for the gab.”
Last year’s event highlighted trailblazing women in sports.
In the past, the event has been held in late-January or early-February, but this year’s installment will be a little bit later, on April 1.
Robinson says the move will better showcase high school athletes with the annual SPECTRA award, an acronym for sportsmanship, participation, excellence, character, teamwork, respect and achievement.
“When we have it in January, you only get about half of the high school year, so if we move it into April it’ll be a true vision of the entire year for those athletes.”
Roenick, who scored 1,216 points in 1,363 NHL games, is the first of several guests to be announced. Robinson says other head table guests will be announced closer to the event.
Funds from the event support the Thames Valley Children’s Centre.
The regional rehabilitation centre serves children and young adults with physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorder in southwestern Ontario.