The Alberta Law Enforcement Torch Run and Walmart Canada are joining forces to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics St. Albert at this weekend’s Free the Fuzz event.
Officers will camp on scaffolding at the St. Albert Walmart location from 10 a.m. today to 4 p.m. Sunday to show their dedication and commitment to Special Olympics. Participating agencies include Alberta Corrections, Alberta Sheriffs, RCMP and the Edmonton Police Service.
A barbecue and sports demonstrations by Special Olympics St. Albert athletes will also take place both days.
This is the sixth Free the Fuzz in Alberta this summer and so far more than $82,000 has been raised. The goal this weekend is to add $14,000 to that total.
Internationally, the Law Enforcement Torch Run is the largest grassroots fundraiser and awareness vehicle for Special Olympics. More than $560,000 was raised last year across the province to benefit local programs and provide transportation to competitions.
Visit www.specialolympics.ab.ca/st-albert for information on the Special Olympics St. Albert program.
Canada’s 31-man Rugby World Cup team includes two products of the St. Albert Rugby Football Club.
Andy Tiedemann, a prop, and blindside flanker Kyle Gilmour are among five Alberta players on the roster of 17 forwards and 14 backs.
Tiedemann, 26, was on the Canadian squad for the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
Gilmour, 27, is making his World Cup debut. The Edmonton Rugby Union’s senior player of the year in 2009 and 2013 was captain of the Calgary-based Prairie Wolfpack, winner of the 2015 Canadian Rugby Championship tournament with Tiedemann in the lineup, and for Canada at last year’s IRB Americas Rugby Championship.
Tiedemann has 34 test caps and Gilmour has nine caps.
Tiedemann played his high school rugby with the Paul Kane Blues and Gilmour earned his stripes with the St. Albert Skyhawks.
After the World Cup, Gilmour will join the Rotherham Titans of England and Tiedemann is mulling over a variety of options, including playing pro in Hong Kong, after stints with FC Auch Gers of France and Plymouth Albion RFC of England.
Canada, ranked 18th in the world, kicks off the World Cup Sept. 19 against No. 2 Ireland in Cardiff.
Canada also plays No. 15 Italy, No. 7 France and No. 17 Romania in group D in England.
Only No. 19 Uruguay and No. 20 Namibia are ranked lower than Canada in the 20-country World Cup
Canada was 1-2-1 at the 2011 World Cup.
Canada has qualified for every World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1987 but hasn’t advanced out of the first round since losing to New Zealand in the 1991 quarterfinals.
Canada has also lost its last seven test matches, including all four matches at the Pacific Nations Cup, and is 1-10 since the start of 2014. The last win was 17-13 against Namibia last November.
Today in Halifax, Canada scrums down against the Glasgow Warriors.
Warm-up matches are also scheduled next month in England against No. 13 Georgia and No. 9 Fiji.
Alicia Easthope is the repeat winner of the Edmonton junior U16 female championship.
The Sandpiper Golf & Country Club member carded scores of 80 and 77 at the Glendale Golf & Country Club to finish ahead of runner-up Samantha Copeland (98-90) of the Willow Park Golf & Country Club.
Easthope recorded winning rounds of 89 and 82 at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club last year.
The Grade 12 Bellerose Composite High School student was crowned the MJT Ford Series/PGA of Alberta Junior Championship female 15-19 division winner at the McKenzie Meadows Golf Club in July.
Meanwhile, at this year’s Edmonton junior championships, Brooke Brezovski (104-106) of the Sturgeon Valley Golf & Country Club finished third in the U14 female division, Connor Ackroyd (82-79) of Sturgeon Valley placed fourth in the U16 male division and James Robillard (77-79) of the Glendale was fourth in the U18 male division.
The St. Albert Impact division 3A women are the No. 1 Edmonton District Soccer Association team at the Tier 3 provincials after Monday’s win at the ESA Complex.
Jacey Carroll tallied twice and Marissa Poon and Melanie Seidal also scored in the 4-1 victory over the Riverbend Ruckus (13-2-2), a division 3B team. At halftime it was 2-0.
The match determined the first and second EDSA teams in the six-team Tier 3 draw.
Mavericks 09 of the St. Albert Women’s Soccer League, winners of 34 consecutive matches, will also defend their Tier 3 championship at the Sept. 4 to 7 tournament at Shouldice Park in Calgary.
The Impact (15-1) qualified for provincials by blanking Royals FC (11-3-2), a division 3C team, 2-0 last week in the EDSA playdowns.
