The Nov. 10 Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner wasn’t just a night to celebrate its new members. It was also the official opening of the new sports exhibit at the Humboldt & District Museum and Gallery.
“The exhibit is to celebrate RBC Sports Day in Canada on Nov. 29, which is actually to promote moving sports,” said Jean Price, program coordinator for the gallery.
The new exhibit is sponsored by the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame, which works in conjunction with the museum and gallery to raise awareness about sports. According to Price, one section of the exhibit is dedicated to the inductees using their photos and biographies; the rest of it, however, talks about sports in general, the history of sports, and about teams and how teamwork creates a healthy sports community.
The historical section focuses on early sports and original organized sports in the Humboldt area and showcases some of the old equipment that was used. Another section details locations in the area that were used, such as the old arena.
The section dedicated to the inductees works for more than just a spotlight purpose. It’s also an expanded space for the Humboldt & District Sports Hall of Fame.
“It gives a bit more context of what the inductees were working in and talks about the things they have built, but also talks about the wider community because not everyone who plays sports is a great athlete,” said Price.
Since the exhibit was opened on the same night as the inductee dinner, all the themes seemed to tie into together. While the athletes went up and spoke about themselves, their careers, and the opportunities that made it possible, the exhibit that was opened seemed to give it all some context. It was a collaborative effort that built on itself.
“We don’t have the capacity for a standalone exhibit, so this expanded space allows for flexibility in being able to change the sports artifacts on display,” said Aaron Lukan, secretary treasurer for the Sports Hall of Fame.
Not only is there the exhibit, but Lukan says they’ve also implemented an electronic media project that allows them to feature athletes who are more current. While the hall of fame inductees tend to be older and have either finished their athletic careers or come to the end of it, the online project profiles people doing things now.
One of the hopes is that all this expanded exposure will encourage people to start thinking about and identifying potential athletes deserving of a sport in the sports hall of fame.
“The most challenging part of the induction dinner was getting the nominations,” said Lukan. “We usually have it every two to three years, but we’d love to have it every other year. We would love for people to get their nominations forward for someone they know deserves it.”
Lukan is hoping that this expanded exhibit will bring that awareness. On the upside, this year’s induction dinner was still a success. All the inductees managed to make it and the night went off without a hitch.
For anyone who missed the dinner, they can still find out about the athletes in the new exhibit or in the sport hall of fame’s online media project.
Even if a viewer wasn’t heavily into sports, the community connections alone would be enough to spark interest.
“It was difficult to put together the exhibit in a way that would appeal to non-athletes, which is why we included so much of the community aspect—to appeal to as broad an audience as possible,” said Price. “It’s a part of the community whether they like sports or not.”
