Awards Night 2022

Vaughan Vikings 1^st Annual Awards Night

Last Thursday evening, October 13, we celebrated the efforts and accomplishments of the past year with our 1^st Annual Vaughan Vikings Awards Night at the Venetian Banquet Hall.  Oh, what a night it was!

Pre-Covid, we always announced our award recipients during the various year-end banquets we held.  Not knowing what the summer might look like and wishing to ensure maximum participation, we planned an on-field event at the end of August to celebrate the players in our league.  We also held our All-Star games during that day.

Wishing to recognize the award winners in a special way, we planned an Awards Night for this year.  Based on the feedback, it is an event that we will host annually moving forward.

In addition to recognizing players, coaches, umpires, and volunteers, we also announced our 3 Scholarship winners.  In addition, we took the opportunity to recognize and thank individuals who have played an integral role through their dedication and leadership in guiding and supporting us through our partnership with the City of Vaughan.

An Outstanding Achievement Award, along with a video tribute, was presented to longtime Vaughan umpire Sav Macchione, who is retiring after 30 years of umpiring games.  The award was an acknowledgement of Sav’s dedication, commitment, loyalty, and friendship to the baseball community.

The evening concluded with a very special announcement of a $10,000 donation by the City of Vaughan Baseball and Softball Association (CVBA) to the Vaughan Food Bank.  A cheque make out to the Vaughan Food Bank was presented to Mayor Bevilacqua, with a request that he deliver it to them on our behalf.

The donation is part of a plan to support local charities and foundations in Vaughan each year.  The goal is to donate $10,000 annually to a local organization for 10 years.  Each year, the Board will identify a local charity or foundation to support, thus helping the recipients to continue to do their vital work in the community in which we work and live.

We have always viewed our role as not just a youth sports league, but a member of the community.  We have a long charitable and philanthropic tradition, and it is why we support toy drives and other fundraising initiatives when we are made aware of them each year.  It also speaks to the values of caring and generosity of our membership.

This initiative continues that same civic spirit and responsibility, to play our part in making a difference and helping those in need in Vaughan. We are proud, on behalf of our membership, to support local organizations who are a lifeline for many of our friends and neighbours, and who make a difference every day.

As part of the initiative, we will encourage our membership to donate food to the Vaughan Food Bank to help those most vulnerable.  We will suggest to our Rep and Select teams the opportunity to do their part through their own initiatives over the next 12 months.  With the Vaughan Food Bank, teams could for example choose to run their own food drive or volunteer as a team to help on a specific date.

With the 1^st Annual Vaughan Vikings Award Night, we have started a new tradition to recognize and acknowledge the achievements of our membership and thank those who play a pivotal role in making the season and our league a success.

We look forward to the 2023 Awards Night!