Enhancing lives for individuals with intellectual disabilities
2026 EVENT INFO
THURSDAY APRIL 16, 2026
HALIFAX CONVENTION CENTRE
BUSINESS ATTIRE
TABLES OF 10: $3,350+HST
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $335+HST
For Premium Corporate Tables and Partnership Opportunities, please contact Cory Sanford
Carrying on a 53 year tradition, the Sports Charity Dinner is held in Halifax each year. The event raises funds in support of Canadian Progress Club - Halifax charities, including Special Olympics, Club Inclusion and the King’s Meadow Home in Windsor, Nova Scotia.
On Thursday April 16, 2026, the Canadian Progress Club - Halifax will host the 53rd Annual Sports Charity Dinner in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On this night we will proudly continue the tradition of providing our patrons with an evening of entertainment unlike any other.
TITLE PARTNER
ORDER OF EVENTS
VIP RECEPTION (INVITE ONLY)
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
GENERAL RECEPTION
5:00 PM - 6:15 PM
DINNER AND ENTERTAINMENT
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
BUSINESS ATTIRE REQUESTED
MEDIA PARTNERS
THE ATHLETES
JOSÉ BAUTISTA
Drafted 599th overall in the 20th round of the MLB Draft, José Bautista’s rise to stardom is one of baseball’s great perseverance stories. Early in his career, a whirlwind series of trades made him the first player ever to appear on the roster of five different teams in a single season, but his breakout with the Toronto Blue Jays cemented his legacy. A six-time MLB All-Star, Bautista earned three Silver Slugger Awards and two Hank Aaron Awards, finishing his career with 344 home runs and 975 RBIs while leading the majors in homers twice.
Beyond the diamond, Bautista has made a lasting impact off the field by creating a program that helps athletes from his home country pursue university opportunities in the United States. Continuing his passion for sport, he most recently became principal owner of the Las Vegas Lights FC. And even for those who don’t follow baseball, Bautista’s unforgettable playoff “bat flip” remains one of the most iconic and electrifying moments in Canadian sports history.
JENNIFER BOTTERILL
Born in Canada’s capital but raised in Winnipeg, Jennifer Botterill quickly emerged as one of the most gifted players in women’s hockey. A graduate of Harvard University, she became U.S. college hockey’s all-time career scoring leader with an astonishing 319 points and set a nearly unthinkable 80-game point streak. Botterill made her Olympic debut in Nagano as the youngest member of Team Canada’s silver-medal roster, setting the stage for a brilliant international career.
She went on to capture three consecutive Olympic gold medals and five IIHF World Championship titles, including assisting on the golden goal in front of a home crowd at the 2010 Vancouver Games. In the now-defunct CWHL, Botterill played only three seasons yet still retired as the league’s all-time leading scorer, posting 160 points in just 79 games. Today, she brings her insight and experience to fans as an analyst with Sportsnet, TNT, and Hockey Night in Canada, and was recently honoured with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
BRET 'THE HITMAN' HART
Raised in a bustling household of 12 children, Bret Hart grew up immersed in the world of professional wrestling, following in the footsteps of his legendary father, Stu Hart. Many of the sport’s biggest names trained in the basement of the Hart family home, famously known as the “Dungeon,” and Bret’s early exposure to that environment shaped the discipline and technical excellence that would define his career. He began in the business as a referee before stepping into the ring himself, where he quickly rose to become one of the most accomplished and respected performers in wrestling history.
Over the span of his storied career, Hart captured 32 championship titles, including seven World Championships and five WWF Championships, and later added two WCW World Heavyweight titles after the infamous “Montreal Screwjob.” Beyond the ring, he helped found and co-own the Calgary-based WHL team that shared his iconic nickname. Known worldwide for his signature line, “The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be,” Bret Hart remains a defining figure in professional wrestling and a symbol of excellence across generations.
EVENT PARTNERS
YOUR HOST
ROD BLACK
He is “The Man for All Seasons”. Name the sport and Rod Black has more than likely called the game. Black has done it all. From NHL hockey to the NBA, Major League Baseball to the NFL and CFL, PGA & LPGA golf, World Championship boxing, ATP and WTA tennis, international figure skating, Indy Car and Formula One auto racing, the Masters, the Kentucky Derby, World Cup Soccer, speedskating, cycling, Canadian & USA college sports and of course both the Summer and Winter Olympics where Black not only hosted prime time shows in 1992 and1994 but also called several historic gold medals in 2010 and 2012.
A consummate professional who displays passion and excitement in all that he does, Black is a nine time Canadian Screen Award & Gemini nominee. In 2005, Rod received the Sports Media Canada award for Most Outstanding Broadcaster.
When asked what his favorite moment has been in his acclaimed career, Rod pauses and says, “The next one. Truly, I absolutely love every memory, but I also wake up every day knowing that there are new great memories to discover. That is what sport teaches us. To enjoy the moments and create new ones. Learn all the lessons from these games – good and bad - and hopefully adapt them into our day to day lives. Nothing can do that like sport.”
