2023 ISHA Special Project Grant Application NOW AVAILABLE

The International Sports Heritage Association (ISHA) has established the Special Project Grant, supported through the Founders Fund, to provide financial assistance up to $2,000 for a project that supports museum activities intended to address at least one of the following priorities within the organization:

• Increase collection capacity
• Increase public access
• Improve documentation
• Increase awareness
• Improve preservation
• Increase interpretation

Eligibility:

• • The grant is open to all regular institutional members of ISHA.
  • Preference will be given to those with the most financial need.
  • This grant is envisioned to support projects between $500 and $2,000. However, projects with larger budgets where the ISHA grant of $2,000 provides significant support will be considered.
  • Necessary equipment is an eligible expense. Funds may not be used for deficits/debt retirement, purchase of artifacts or ongoing operations.
  • Applicants may receive a maximum of one (1) Special Project Grant within a five- (5) year period.
  • A grant will be awarded only once for any specific topic within an organization.

The deadline for 2023 applications is March 31, 2023. 

For more information please reference the ISHA Founders Fund & Grants webpage or download the application. 

Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame to Undergo Renovation

The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson, Mississippi is proud to announce they will be undergoing a $3.5 million renovation to their facilities in 2023. Renovation plans include a reconfigured lobby and gift shop as well as an exterior facelift. The MS Sports Hall of Fame first opened its doors in 1996 and this will be the largest renovation project to date on the building. “The Museum houses the stories of Mississippi’s—and in many cases, the world’s—greatest athletes. We are excited to be able to upgrade the facilities for sharing these stories with our guests so they have the best experience possible.” says MSHOF Executive Director, Bill Blackwell.

CSHoF Announces Remarkable Story of Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins to Inspire Youth

Youth across Canada will be provided the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by the journey of one of this nation’s most prolific athletes in the sport of baseball, Ferguson “Fergie” Jenkins.

Inspiring the leaders of tomorrow through the invaluable lessons of sport is at the core of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame’s (CSHoF) mission. Through the organization’s web-based education platform – https://link.edgepilot.com/s/cec5ce64/Ys_gM_TVTkyod0ZhGLIPQw?u=http://www.beyondthewin.ca/ – classrooms across Canada are provided with curriculum-aligned education programs and resources at no cost. In 2023, youth will have access to four (4) newly launched asynchronous program modules, sharing the lessons and impact of Ferguson Jenkins’ story, further demonstrating CSHoF’s commitment to connect youth to outstanding Canadian sport role models.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame President and CEO, Cheryl Bernard shares the following: “we have worked extensively to provide an accessible, free education hub where teachers, students and coaches can easily access a variety of education assets. We are so proud to be developing and presenting a new asynchronous program, celebrating his 80th birthday and honouring Ferguson Jenkins as a role model in this country, in collaboration with Ferguson and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.”

“Teaming up with Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame to tell the story of Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins and his impact on sports history in Canada is a remarkable way to connect today’s youth with the past,” said Jeremy Diamond, Chair, Board of Directors of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “We look forward to bringing this story alive and sharing it with Canadians of all ages.”

The first module of the education program will begin rolling out in June 2023 with all four (4) modules accessible to schools for the start of the 2023/24 school year

BC Sports Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2023 Inductees

In October, the BC Sports Hall of Fame was very pleased to announce its new Class of 2023 inductees, an enlarged class to account for the disruptions to the regular nomination/selection process caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Introduced at the media announcement by Honoured Members Lori Fung and Richard Peter, the Class of 2023 will be formally inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame at the annual Induction Gala in June in Vancouver. The Class of 2023 includes:

Athlete

• Mitch Berger – Football
• Jaimie Borisoff – Wheelchair Basketball
• Susan Butt – Tennis
• Dennis Kearns – Ice Hockey
• Kelsey Serwa – Ski Cross
• Mary-Anne Walz – Softball

Builder-Coach

• Wynn Gmitroski – Athletics
• Deb Huband – Basketball
• Jim Kojima – Judo
• Carla Qualtrough – Para Sports

Team

• 1971 Richmond Roadrunners Men’s Lacrosse
• 2011-12 Penticton Vees Men’s Hockey

Pioneer

• Eleanor (Young) Stonehouse – Tennis
• Brian Day – Sports Medicine

Media

• Dan Russell

W.A.C. Bennett Award

• Jake Kerr / Jeff Mooney

Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast New Episode

In the latest episode of Hallowed Ground: The Sports Museum Podcast, ISHA Emerging Professional member Andrew Stockmann spoke with Tricia Herald and Bill Hawker of Elevate97, which you can find on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Upcoming episodes include a discussion on storytelling, accessibility, and social justice in sports heritage organizations with Katie Tanner of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame and Adam Thompson of the World of Little League Museum. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, please email Andrew at [email protected].

New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame Expands Collection

With the help of its summer staff, the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame added 148 artefacts such as, art, sports cards, and trophies to the permanent collection in 2022..  Many of the artefacts are currently on display in the museum.  The museum is honoured to have items donated by Fredericton born Canadian Paralympic swimmer Danielle Dorris.  Danielle won a silver medal in the S7 100m backstroke at the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won gold in the S7 50m butterfly in a world record time at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.