NOTABLES IN SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION

Sports have a unique way of bringing people together. It transcends languages, beliefs, and geographical locations. It has an incredible way of connecting people from all around the world with common interests. Within local communities, this is only amplified. Engaging a community through sports fosters the bond of families, friendships, work colleagues and strangers. It is a pinnacle to any community structure.

Reveal Niagara Business Magazine by Ownera Media is proud to present the leaders of sports entertainment companies in Niagara who do their part in forging positive change. They are the leaders that recognize the importance of local engagement, support, and mutually beneficial relationships, making them truly notable in their industry, in our community, and beyond.

Ryan Harrison

CEO and President

Welland Jackfish Baseball Club

Ryan Harrison has been with the Intercounty Baseball League franchise since its inaugural season in 2011 as the Burlington Twins. Starting as a game-day employee Ryan quickly became deeply involved becoming the Director of Operations during 2013 under the Burlington Bandits moniker. Ryan, along with partners Jason and Dan formed the Burlington Herd Baseball Club in order to purchase the team from then-President Scott Robinson.

Welland Jackfish Baseball Club

In the summer of 2017, Ryan Harrison, Jason McKay and Dan Pokoradi purchased the rights to an IBL franchise. After two seasons in Burlington, the club moved to Welland and the 2,340-seat Welland Stadium was rebranded as the Welland Jackfish, just in time for the 2019 season.

The 100-year-old summer league is one of the oldest baseball leagues in the world, established in 1919, drawing significantly more fans to a friendly ballpark experience than any league of its kind.

At the heart of the team is the community. “We donated over $25,000 to local non-for-profits and charities. We also hold numerous food drives and donate tickets to groups in need,” says Ryan. “Following the 2019 season, the donations from the Jackfish 50/50 drive were enough to purchase a seeing-eye dog. With the Welland Lions Club, we were able to help someone in need.”

Fans are also top priority, the heartbeat of the organization and what keeps them going. “We are adopted as fans first,” says Harrison. “Our fans are number one and in everything we do, we make sure it is entertaining and fun for them.”

They continue to add new events outside their normal programming in hopes to drive up revenue and bring the community together. This will include the annual cornhole tournament, snowpitch tournament and much more.

Michelle Biskup

Vice President, Operations

Niagara River Lions

Overseeing day-to-day activities of the organization, Michelle ensures that all facets of the business, such as ticketing, sales, marketing, public relations, and basketball operations are running smoothly. She is responsible for the direction and growth of the River Lions through implementing new directives for business development and overseeing employee productivity. Niagara River Lions

Niagara River Lions are a Canadian Elite Basketball League. In 2019, the team announced their move to the newly formed Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) with five other teams from across Canada. In the CEBL's three short years of existence, they have made an incredible mark on the game of basketball in Canada, and have grown to nine teams (Niagara, Hamilton, Guelph, Ottawa, Montreal, Scarborough, Saskatchewan, Edmonton & Fraser Valley) heading into the 2022 season, which is set to tip-off in May.

“Not many people know this, but our name, the Niagara River Lions, comes from the Niagara Region Coat of Arms which features a mythical creature; a river lion, on it. This creature represents the pride and strength of community, which is something that our organization has strived to live up to from day one,” says Michelle. “It is extremely important for the staff and players to be part of the fabric of the Niagara community. Each season the team dedicates countless hours to the community.”

“Our goal is to provide two hours of non-stop entertainment for fans, where you don't need to be a basketball fan to enjoy yourself.” Said Michelle. The River Lions are always trying to set the bar high when it comes to in-game entertainment. Over the years there has been live music, pyrotechnics, half-time performers, activities for kids, a blimp that flies throughout the arena, and so much more.

Joey Burke

General Manager

Niagara IceDogs

In 2007 the Niagara IceDog’s hosted their inaugural season and Joey has been part of the team since the beginning, supporting the franchise move from Mississauga and working as a goalie scout. He advanced to Assistant General Manager for six seasons and became General Manager in 2016. Niagara Ice Dogs

Community involvement is at the forefront of the team and promote appearances that enrich the experience of their fans. “We are involved with countless charities, have multiple player appearances at local schools every week, provide mentorship and guidance programs for youth, and give back to our community through regular jersey auctions for charity among many other things,” says Joey. “We truly feel we embrace the community, and we have in turn been embraced by the entire region and we thrive on positive community outreach.”

Each season includes a teddy bear toss game that occurs just before Christmas. “When we score our first goal on teddy bear toss night everyone in attendance throws donated plush toys for sick children in Niagara area hospitals,” says Joey. “Once the thousands of toys are collected, our players along with the NRPS delivers them to children in need all around the region. Not only is it a highlight of the year to spearhead such an impressive initiative, but to be able to provide these kids with a smile and a positive interaction with our players is something that means a lot to us.”

“Certainly, what I am most proud of during my time here so far is building the roster with not only high-end athletes but great young men as well. Every player we bring to Niagara is a high-character person who cares about our community and is a positive role model for the next generation from our region.” Said Joey.