John Gibbons (Photo courtesy of Keith Allison. Used with a Creative Commons licence)John Gibbons (Photo courtesy of Keith Allison. Used with a Creative Commons licence)
London

Bourque, Gibbons to attend Sports Celebrity Dinner

An NHL hall-of-famer and a former Toronto Blue Jays manager will be in attendance at this year's Start.ca London Sports Celebrity Dinner and Auction.

It was announced Thursday that Ray Bourque and John Gibbons will join the head table at the April 1 event that benefits the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC).

"Bourque is a legend in the NHL and has an extremely inspirational story to tell,” Event Chair Ryan Robinson in a statement. “The passion that Londoners have for hockey is very evident and when we can bring someone of Bourque’s name recognition to the event, we hope that will engage the community to come out and hear from him and support the dinner and TVCC.”

The former NHL defenceman spent 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins and was the franchise's longest-serving captain. He finished his hockey career in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche.

Gibbons was briefly a catcher for the New York Mets in the 1980s before making his coaching debut in 1990. He was hired as a bullpen catcher for the Blue Jays in 2002 and worked his way up to the manager post in 2004, where he remained for four years. He then did a four-year coaching stint with the Kansas City Royals and San Antonio Missions before returning as Jays manager in 2013. Gibbons and the Jays parted ways in September of last year.

“The same affable charm that endeared him to Jays’ fans everywhere is sure to be a hit at this year’s event," said Robinson.

Last week it was revealed that Olympic gold medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir will be honoured at the event at the London Convention Centre as Sportspeople of the Year. The Canadian figure skating darlings will be seated with Bourque and Gibbons at the head table.

Tickets for the one-night event can be purchased at www.ldnsportsdinner.com.

TVCC serves more than 8,000 children and their families each year by providing a wide range of services for those with physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays, and autism.

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