6 Hill Street

St. Stephen, NB
E3L1N3

Mr. Mike Horne

Greater St. Stephen Sports Wall of Fame
P.O. Box 430
St. Stephen, NB
E3L2X3

To Mr. Horne:

RE: SUPPORT FOR NOMINATION OF BUILDER – DON BROWN

I highly recommend Don Brown for the Builder Award for the St. Stephen Sports Wall of Fame. Don was
my daughter, Alyssa Gidney’s, air rifle shooting coach for many years. It was clear Don put all his spare
time into the St. Croix Sportsman’s Club. Since he was retired, it appeared to be his life. I am aware he
was involved with the rifle range but it was clear to us he had a passion for keeping the sport alive by
focusing on the youth. He not only promoted the sport but he continuously developed the program and
ensured anyone with talent was challenged by getting them to provincial, national and international
competitions. He broke down barriers for anyone willing to participate.

I am aware he spent his time:

 recruiting new members and volunteers

 training volunteers, officials, and athletes
 travelling to competitions
 maintaining the range and its assets
 fundraising to ensure the club had the latest gear-this included travelling around on his dime to
all areas of the province to sell tickets for draws
 liaising with coaches in other provinces to coordinate schedules to maximize qualifying shoots
available
 liaising with shooting gear companies (targets and software companies) to ensure our club kept
up with latest technology
 arranging coaching seminars from SportNB for the community and our volunteers
 setting up fun shoots for the community at the Ganong Nature Park

Our daughter, Alyssa, enjoyed shooting and it provided her with skills and confidence that I am sure has
contributed to her success in other areas of her life. Alyssa wanted to join the RCMP from the time she
was 10. Don shared stories from working at the RCMP Depot in Regina and encouraged her to follow
her dream. She is now finishing her fourth and last year in Criminology at St. Thomas University and has
been on the Dean’s list the whole way through. She’s even managed to spend last summer working in
enforcement with CBSA.
While Alyssa shot with the club, she travelled to meets in Maine; Nova Scotia and Ontario and secured
medals in each location.

The club was much larger in the years before we joined. It was evident that many children had a lot of
fun there and gained life long skills in focus, concentration, following direction (you have to respect the
rules around the range 100% of the time) and confidence that would follow them throughout their lives.

I sincerely hope Don Brown gets full consideration for this award as he and his family provided many
years of dedication to the community through the St. Croix Sportman’s Club.

Kindest regards,

Sheila Gidney