2009: Year in Review

2009, Loyola's 113th Year!

The social season usually starts in April with The Annual Appreciation Night at the John Molson room in Molson's brewery. The purpose of the evening is to thank Alumni and Associates who have helped out with the various functions the Alumni was involved in over the course of the previous year. It was a grand evening and we thank one and all for helping the Association become a viable and functional component in the life of the school.

May was a busy month. The Association held its Annual General Meeting and we are pleased to report that the Board of Directors (with recently elected Jeff Clarke ‘81 at the helm) are as enthusiastic as ever and look forward to another year of bringing alumni together. We extend a special thank you to Matt Eramian '98 for his tenure as President. Not to worry, Matt will continue as one of our Directors - his energy and sense of humour are an important part of our Association.

The Annual Montreal and Toronto Business Luncheons were, once again, very well received. It's a great venue for Alumni in the downtown core to get together for a lunch, a chat with fellow alumni and a few insights from a guest speaker. This year, not surprisingly, both speakers touched on the state of the economy and were inundated with questions afterwards.

It's becoming a yearly event - that dynamic quintet of Pearson, Mytko, Brennan, Dubee and Shaughnessy, head up to Ottawa and hobnob with that "Ottawa crowd". There was another great turnout including an old friend from the seventies, Art Sutherland (dad of Jim '76), who was a mainstay with the Sports Tournament for years. It was great to see you Art (you too Jim).
More photos of  Ottawa Pub Night in our Photo Gallery



June was ushered in with a CSP event. Close to twenty-five alumni (some with family members in tow) served up a bar-b-q to over 120 people at Labre House - a home that caters to the needs of the homeless. One of the volunteers, Charles Grenier '78, was honoured later in the month at the Annual Alumni Dinner. Charles was presented with the Alumnus of the Year Award which is awarded annually to an individual whose efforts have enabled the Association to flourish and maintain that special relationship it has with the school and the community. It would be hard to find a more deserving candidate. Congratulations Charles! The award was presented at The Annual Dinner which was held this year at the John Molson Room where close to fifty alumni and spouses not only enjoyed a wonderful meal, but were entertained by a wonderful fireworks display on the terrace overlooking the harbour.
More photos of Labre House and the Annual Alumni Dinner in our Photo Gallery

July would not hold its special allure without The Peter Ferguson Golf Tournament. A true testament to the Loyola spirit was evident at this year's edition of the Fergie. Despite "wet" conditions, ninety-five golfers braved the elements. After the round, they were rewarded with a great dinner, the barbs of one Kelly Burke and at least one prize. Once again there was a contingent of guys who played hockey with Pete and they were instrumental is raising a bursary in his name. What rain, it was a great day!
More photos of The Ferguson Golf Tournament in our Photo Gallery

In October, The Foundation Golf Tournament surpassed expectations. Despite sluggish economic conditions, Co-Chairs Jeff Speak ‘77 and Darryl White ‘88 are proud to announce that the tournament netted $179,000, every penny of which goes towards bursaries. This year the Tournament Committee added a new component to the event by organizing a major raffle for a set of two season tickets to "Nos Glorieux", the Canadiens (a value of $11,500). The net total for the raffle was $105,000 with the funds again going directly into the bursary program. Kudos to this year's Tournament Committee whose initiatives helped raise a total of $284,000. Again, we thank everyone associated with the tournament. This will help put a significant dent in the $425,000+ that will be required to assist the sixteen percent of our students who will be receiving financial assistance this year.
More photos of The Foundation Golf Tournament in our Photo Gallery

The Annual Beer, Oysters and Smoked Meat Evening was an unmitigated success as over 550 alumni from all years once again walked down memory lane. The highlight of the evening was the turnout of the anniversary years - it was wonderful to see old classmates connect and renew those special friendships. Reunion Weekend once again lived up to its billing!!!! A few weeks earlier, the class of 1959 celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. On the Friday afternoon, a number of them spoke to the grads and then retired to the Casey Lounge. After, none of them remember.
More photos of The Annual Beer, Oysters and Smoked Meat Evening in our Photo Gallery

 Christmas CSP 2009  On Saturday, November the 28th, the Alumni Association, in conjunction with Loyola students, assisted the NDG Food Depot in the collection of food in NDG and Montreal West. The results surpassed the record number of bags of food collected last year. Over fifty alumni came with cars, vans and even trucks, and spent the Saturday morning driving up and down the streets, some with family members aboard, and others with Loyola students who had volunteered their time. Everyone was in a great mood and the enthusiasm was contagious. Many were raring to go out again after they had completed their route. It was wonderful to see that there is a wide range of alumni from all years who are always willing to help out at these events. Some have been doing this for years. A heartfelt thanks to all for your involvement in a project that makes a difference in the community of which we are a part.
More photos of the Christmas CSP 2009 Food Drive in our Photo Gallery



A few alumni in the news:

Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson and Rick Renaud, all from the class of ‘63, were honoured by Concordia University. They were presented with a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, in recognition of their professional success and their commitment to giving back to the community. We extend our sincere congratulations.

Michael Leclerc '87 was ordained a priest this summer. Naturally he had to put up with the usual gang from the class of '87 at the ceremony.

Sean Coleman '08 was awarded The Ed Meagher Scholarship at the Winter Sports Tournament.

What do Sami Antaki '76, Daniel Boyd '77, Gord Brabant '74, Francis Burke '75, Blair Coyle '76, Don McCarty '70, Mike Murray '75, Peter O'Brien '62, Mark Schenke '76 and Gord Snell '71 have in common? They are all proud parents - their sons graduated from the school in June.