Tim Hortons will honour the North North Okanagan Athlete and Team of the Year Tuesday night at Lakers Clubhouse.
The athlete of the year trophy has been handed out since 1994, then under the auspices of the Funtastic Sports Society, and has tracked the progress of top athletes and teams for more than two decades.
The awards selection also now includes a leadership/service trophy.
NHLer Brent Gilchrist took the first athlete of the year honour and other past winners include Olympic gymnast Camille Martens, speed skater Connie Kapak, Olympic snowboarder Kevin Hill, swimmer Savannah King, basketball star Diane Schuetze and Viper captain David Robinson.
“There were many outstanding applications received and considered,” said committee chairman Ken Richardson, a retired teacher. “We had some touch choices to make.”
The Leadership in Sports award is for community leaders such as coaches or organizers. The 2016 winner was Ann Holmes, who spent 25 years promoting and organizing sports like softball, fastball, volleyball, curling and lacrosse, as well as raising funds for KidSport.
Directors on the Tim Hortons Sports Awards committee include retiree John Topping, who founded Funtastic, Dan Currie and Taylor MacInnis of Tim Hortons, Betty Selin of SUN-FM, Pete McIntyre of KISS-FM, retired councillor Jack Gilroy, Kate Bouey of Castanet and Kevin Mitchell of The Morning Star.
Light refreshments will be provided and the event is open to the public, free of charge. The ceremony gets under way at 6 p.m.