Lifetime award to John Leroux
Posted Feb 2, 2012 By John Curry
Click to Enlarge
EMC Sports - One of the major lifetime achievement awards presented at the 59th annual Ottawa Sports Awards on Wednesday, Jan. 25 came to Stittsville.
John Brummell
Eric Fullerton of Stittsville holds the Ottawa Sports Award plaque which he received for being a member of the Ottawa Fury U13 boys' soccer team which won the USL New England Division championship in 2011.
The lifetime achievement award for sports volunteer or administrator has been awarded to longtime Stittsville sports activist and organizer John Leroux.
Unfortunately, because of recent surgery and subsequent rehabilitation, he was not able to attend the gala awards banquet at Algonquin College but he was well represented, with his son Wayne on hand to accept the award on his behalf and with a table of supporters cheering his selection and enjoying the evening.
John Leroux's contribution to sports in the Stittsville/Goulbourn community was recognized last year with the re-naming of the Stittsville arena as the Johnny Leroux Stittsville Community Arena by the city of Ottawa.
John started coaching ball in the community in 1970, along with minor hockey teams. He was instrumental in the formation of a men's recreational fastball league and also umpired ball at various levels over the years.
Oldtimers hockey is where John really made his mark. As founder of the Stittsville Merchant Selects, he coached various oldtimer hockey teams, leading some to victory in international tournaments.
A veteran of the Korean War, John combined his love of sports with his involvement with the Royal Canadian Legion, spending 14 years as the chair of sports at the Stittsville Legion. While in this role, he inaugurated the annual poppy blitz of the community in which players for minor hockey teams, wearing their team jerseys, go door-to-door in the community, distributing poppies. This has not only helped the Stittsville Legion in its annual poppy blitz but also has exposed youth to Remembrance Day and its meaning.
John Leroux was not the only one from Stittsville honoured at the Ottawa Sports Awards this year.
John Hawes of Stittsville received recognition for being the coach for modern pentathlon for Canada's team at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico last October.
His son, Matt Hawes, a graduate of Sacred Heart Catholic High School in Stittsville, received the award for outstanding athletic performance by a swimmer in 2011, an honour that he has received annually since 2008. He is now considered one of Canada's best swimmers and is currently training in Australia for the Olympic Trials in March.
In 2011, Matt won four events at the Ontario University championships as well as notching a victory in an event at the Canadian University championships. He also had first place finishes at the Ontario Cup and the Canada Cup as well as a gold medal at the World Aquatic Championships Trials.
Eric Fullerton of Stittsville was another honoured at this year's Ottawa Sports Awards as he is a member of the Ottawa Fury U13 boys' soccer team which won the USL New England Division Championship in 2011.
blog comments powered by Disqus
