Four-time Olympic gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser will be in Brantford as part of the Ladies Who Lead speaker series.
Wickenheiser, who also led the Canadian women’s national hockey team to seven world championships, will be at the Sanderson Center on May 23 at 7 pm
“We’re so excited to host this year’s event with Hayley as our guest speaker,” said Shannon McMannis, founder of Ladies Who Lead.
“Her achievements and exceptional determination, both on and off the ice, transcend business, leadership and sport.”
Wickenheiser, author of Over the Boards: Lessons from the Ice, was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011. She was Canada’s official flag bearer at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and inducted into Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
She retired in 2017 after 23 years with the women’s national team. She enrolled in medical school and became a physician in 2021.
Wickenheiser was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 and became the team’s assistant general manager in 2022.
Founded in 2019, Ladies Who Lead has nearly 100 members. McMannis said the group aims to empower women to work collaboratively rather than in competition. .
Last year, the group brought Dragons’ Den star Arlene Dickinson to the Sanderson to launch its speaker series. More than 700 people attended the inaugural event.
“The speaker series is an annual fundraiser we host to sustain our organizational goals of supporting programming and opportunities for women in our community,” McMannis said. “We’re also raising funds for the Arnold Anderson Sport Fund and various other sport organizations, such as Brantford Girls Hockey Association, Brantford Minor Hockey, Paris Minor Hockey, and Brantford Community Hockey League.”
Named after the sports director of CKPC Radio in Brantford, the Anderson fund provides financial assistance to families who need a boost to get their children involved in minor sports. Anderson died in 1999.
“Playing sports isn’t all about winning,” McMannis said. “It’s about having fun, learning about teamwork, building relationships and learning leadership skills.”
Plans call for representatives of the Anderson fund to hold an event at Harmony Square prior to the Wickenheiser’s presentation. The event is scheduled from 4 pm to 6 pm
Tickets for Wickenheiser’s talk are available by visiting the Sanderon’s website at www.sandersoncentre.ca.
Each ticket costs $50, of which $5 will go to the sports organizations.
Wickenheiser’s visit is being sponsored by local businesses, including Cornerstone Capital Financial Group, Oak House Benefits, Brolly Group and West Brant Window World.
McMannis said she is thankful for the sponsors continued support.
“They were with us when we launched the series last year and we’re delighted that they have returned again this year.”
Sponsorships are still available. If interested, contact McMannis by phone at 226-920-5966 or by e-mail at [email protected] .
To learn more about the Anderson fund, visit www.arnoldandersonsportfund.com/ .