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“It’s been almost a month since we lost Anne Kuharski,” started out this year’s presentation of Sportsperson of the Year at the annual Neepawa Sports Dinner. There was likely not a person in the room who didn’t know the name of the woman who had run the Yellowhead Centre for two decades and was a huge part of its success, and who had succumbed to cancer not long before the event.

"Anne was really the definition of a volunteer, and so this is why the sports community of Neepawa and area have come together and decided that from this time forward, the Neepawa and Area Sportsperson of the Year award will now be changed to the name ‘the Anne Kuharski Memorial Sportsperson of the Year’."

Even before this year’s recipient was named, the crowd was on its feet for the decision to honour such an important part of Neepawa’s sports heritage.

A few moments later, it was announced that Grant “Hymie” Hurrell was this year’s recipient for his longtime dedication to the sport of basketball in the community. Hurrell is currently the junior varsity coach at the high school but in the past has coached at every level in the school as well as refereeing the local basketball league, not to mention his involvement with other sports such as high school football.

Sylvie Tomoniko, who nominated Hurrell for the award, said that with Hurrell at the helm, sportsmanship was equal to skill on his teams, and that applied both on and off the court. He focused on fostering a love of the game as much as skills development, and respect for everyone from opponents and referees to the service workers they encountered on their road trips. His teams have consistently been commended for both their work ethic and treatment of everyone around them.

Hurrell was presented the award by several of the players he currently coaches, who overcame a reluctance to public speaking to also mention just how much his support and coaching means to them.