Pictured: Hayley Wickenheiser, Danielle Goyette, and Joan Snyder at a Team Canada function at the Scotiabank Saddledome

CALGARY – The University of Calgary Department of Athletics and Recreation is pleased to announce a substantial donation to the Dinos women's hockey program from philanthropist Joan Snyder.

The transformational gift of $500,000 creates the Joan Snyder Program of Excellence in Women's Hockey at the University of Calgary, a first of its kind in Canada. The gift will take the Dinos through the 2015-16 season with significantly enhanced financial resources.

The donation will allow the program to enhance four key pillars: coaching excellence, elite competition, sport services, and scholarships to student-athletes. Head Coach Danielle Goyette will hire a full-time assistant coach, home games will be moved to Father David Bauer Arena from the Olympic Oval, and more operating funds will be available for equipment, sports medicine, academic advising, and community outreach.

“The leadership of Danielle Goyette and the excellent team building that has resulted is what really attracted me to the Dinos women's hockey program,” said Snyder. “It is my hope that this gift will enable the program to retain and attract top coaching talent, assist in boosting the team to national excellence, and inspire young girls to take up hockey – which players like Hayley Wickenheiser are already doing.”

“Having that support from Joan is pretty amazing,” said Goyette, who just wrapped up her fourth season as head coach of the Dinos. “Things like having a full-time assistant coach will be very big for this program. It will also allow us to play more exhibition games to see how we stack up against some of the best teams in Canada and give us an idea of what we need to do to become champions.”

Snyder's mother, Phoebe, began playing hockey in the 1920s and pursued her enthusiasm for the sport through the hardships of the Great Depression, and it was that pioneering spirit that inspired Joan to make this donation. A lifelong fan of hockey, Snyder says sport has taught her many lessons that can be applied to business and other areas of life.

“Participating in athletics teaches good sportsmanship, fair play, and the ability to learn, and I've always felt it's better to be a team booster than a knocker,” she said. “Above all, have fun in striving for excellence.”

Snyder's generosity has touched other community organizations like the Agape Hospice, Calgary Humane Society. She has donated more then $9 million to the Faculty of Medicine, creating the Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Chair in Critical Care Research along with the Calvin, Phoebe, and Joan Snyder Institute of Infection, Immunity, and Inflammation in honour of her parents, who she credits with teaching her the value of philanthropy.

It is another step forward in the development of women's hockey in Calgary. Led by Goyette and reigning Canadian Interuniversity Sport player of the year Wickenheiser, the Dinos made their first appearance in the Canada West playoffs in more than a decade this season. In their second season back in CIS competition after a seven-year stint in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, the Dinos posted a record of 16-6-2 and 34 points in 2010-11, more than doubling their point tally (16) from the previous season.

“Having people like Joan supporting this program means a lot, not just to me but to the players as well,” said Goyette. “When you feel that support behind you, it makes you want to do more – not just for the team but for the community. When you don't have to worry about raising money, it opens up time we can use to give back to the community and grow the sport of women's hockey.”

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