The Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame is on the move, but it won’t be going far inside the mall.
The sports hall initially set up shop in the Cambridge Centre mall in 1998. The shrine has been a fixture at its current location outside of the hockey rink for years, but the group of volunteers who run it were recently approached about a move by Morguard, the real estate company that owns the building.
Soon the growing list of local sports icons and memorabilia will be found in the unit formerly occupied by Rogers just down the corridor. The move is anticipated to be completed in early March.
Dave Menary, co-founder of the hall of fame and communications director, believes the new set up is a good thing and will serve the community well.
“We’re excited at being able to have a new footprint with wall space,” Menary said.
“We anticipate that visitors will be able to come in, see and learn about our athletes and some of the storied artifacts on display, and perhaps chat with others in a more intimate setting than our current location affords.”
Being a not-for-profit organization run entirely by volunteers, Menary is grateful for all the support they’ve received from Morguard.
“The Cambridge Centre administration and Morguard have been very generous with the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame,” he said.
“Their support for the last quarter century has been a critical part of our success and sustainability to continue to recognize and honour the achievements of local athletes and contributors.”
As for the upcoming 2023 induction ceremony slated for Saturday, May 6, it’s expected that it will be taking place out front of the new location.
The 2023 class includes hockey player Bryan Little, distance runners Leslie and Lindsay Carson, cyclist Leigh Hobson, Cambridge Aquajets coach Ron Campbell, the Cambridge Speed Skating Club’s Ernie Overland and Marg Oliveira, the 2018 Jacob Hespeler Hawks OFSAA Championship team and the 2019 13U Cambridge Cubs national championship team.
Regardless of where Menary and his team are located, they’ll be providing a detailed history of the Cambridge sports scene for years to come.
“We look forward to continuing to serve the people of Cambridge,” he said.
“Not only by annually inducting the best of our athletes and builders, and perpetuating their names and deeds, but by supporting succeeding generations of student athlete scholars through our high school scholarship program and the Bob Cunningham scholarships.”