Get Ready for Fall Athletics at UWaterloo with the Alumni Big Ticket | Alumni

Written by Laurie Vanderhaeghe (BSc '89)

My family and I absolutely love the Alumni Big Ticket and here is why. Before 2013, we would only go once or twice to UWaterloo campus to take in a basketball game, usually during the annual Naismith Tournament. Since the introduction of the Alumni Big Ticket, we have gone to many more athletic games and events.

I graduated in 1989 in Kinesiology, and I would often go to Homecoming (after a few years with kids in tow) for the AHS Fun Run, but would usually head for home right afterwards. Now, my husband and family come with me to do the run and stay afterwards for a football or volleyball game. We often drive up to Waterloo on Friday night or Saturday whenever there is a game on.

This past year, we went to a couple of football and hockey games. The atmosphere and energy at Columbia Icefield was amazing! I had never been to a hockey or football game when I was an undergrad at UWaterloo – can you believe it? Making up for ‘lost time’ and again thanks to the Big Ticket, we also went to many of the regular season Men’s Volleyball games including the final playoff game that earned the team a trip to Saskatoon. That was a fantastic match – one we will never forget! We also attended several men’s basketball games with the highlight being the final game against Western. It was their best game all season. My youngest son is a big fan of Myles Charvis and getting his autograph after the game along with the rest of the team was the icing on the cake. We are already planning for next season and what teams and sports we want to see and cheer on.

The Alumni Big Ticket has made university a fun exciting place for my children to go – not a scary institution of learning. I think this has really made the transition from high school to university less intimidating. With our oldest son at WLU and our daughter about to start at UWO in September, I still don’t have a ‘Warrior’ in our clan. Perhaps Hudson will be the one – but even if he decides to go somewhere else, you can count on my husband Perry and I coming out for the games.

Thanks again for introducing the Alumni Big Ticket and bringing us back in touch with ‘my old school.’

Go Black Go Gold!